HN: Too crowded, too fast. I can't remember users from one day to the next. Getting down-voted for slightly different etiquette that breaks 'secret rules' sux.
-Note however, that if you think you could actually go out and start a successful social news site of any sort, programming or non-programming, you might consider applying to Y Combinator.
I've been working something, different, for about 6 months, hackin on weekends evenings. I don't want to quit my job - I like my job. I get paid quite well so funding isn't something I think about. I'm happy tinkering along until I get my vision down pat. 50%-60% complete, but the remainder will take about 6 months for me (dependant upon how much I golf this year). Golf is more important than you might think! :)
-Starting a new social news site is really hard though. It's much more of a marketing challenge than anything else.