Same experience here. I launched OnSingularity.com a while back, and I ended up spending more time on marketing than development. What I learned from the experience was that there is still potential for niche social news sites, but it takes a really long time and dedication to grow the community beyond the tipping point. Unless you're someone with an already big following, then it's easier.
I know this isn't a "HN: Review my ____ " post, but I feel compelled to give my 2¢.
The headlines/article blurbs are HUGE! I only see one story above the fold, and I'm presented with too much information for each link. Categories and tags are a bit repetitive. Also, does anyone pay attention to when something was posted or made popular down to the minutes? Hours would be plenty, if anything at all.
By removing the short blurbs lead-ins, you encourage submitters to write clear titles, and remove the redundancy of having both titles and one sentence repeating the title (e.g. 100 Money Saving Tips for the Holiday Gifting Bonanza: Here are a hundred tips to help you save some cash for that holiday gifting bonanza.)
