TL;DR: mismanagement after the original and subsequent sales, an outdated editor and link/summary model, and a migration of relevant users driving discussion to other areas of the Internet.<p>---<p>I am a 4-digit UID user of Slashdot starting ~1997. I was a regular and active contributor up until 2006 or so and then sharply curtailed my contributions as a commenter as other sites became far better at offering recent/relevant news and conversation with me eventually switching over to Reddit (until their CEO became anti-contributor) and then HN.<p>Long ago, it was THE place for relevant nerd news and discussion, but throughout the various sales, ever-eroding userbase, lack of serious updates for mobile users (don't even get me started on how I still need to use the Desktop site because the mobile version just...sucks), and lack of keeping up with better front-page moderation/editing, it became clear that other sites out there were providing a much better UX for 'nerds' on 'stuff that matters', especially moderated content and conversation.<p>Today, I find something interesting on there once a month or less and instead head here, daily, to find relevant links and useful discussion about content that 'matters'.<p>Unless something changes at HN (see Reddit, Digg, and/or Slashdot), I don't see any reason to move away from HN; this is simply the best (for me) when it comes to surfacing interesting tidbits, stories, and interesting stories. While I do miss the good 'ol days of Slashdot, it's become like every other Internet dinosaur--a dying relic of days gone by because they refused to capitalize on their userbase FOR their userbase, instead opting to capitalize on the userbase for money, instead.