I think this is what a lot of people do today. The problem is that (positive, non-mob-like) network effects are limited if you want to effect real change or make your voice heard.

It turns out clickbait and social media have almost made this a no-go.

IMO all good communities will continue to exist in small niche zones like HN, small subreddits, and in whatever future forum/Reddit alternatives are being created.

I don't see that changing, especially as the internet goes more and more mainstream, and converges on the lowest-common denominator.

Respectfully, HN’s (wise, brilliant) mod team keeps the atmosphere feeling like a tight knit community, but it’s certainly not small or niche

It's still fairly small and niche, at least compared to most other platforms. I think it'd be about the size of a medium-popular subreddit?

Make your voice heard by a mass audience and effect change.

Have nuanced discussions.

It could be human psychology forces us to pick one.