I seriously considered trying to use elixir to start a new site with similar intentions to hn/slashdot/reddit, but then I did a precursory search of all the legal implications and it seems nightmarish to run a high-volume user commenting site these days.
I've settled on a side project of just editorials that dissect the rhetoric and logical strengths of current stories in aggregate.
I think the next version of reddit is going to have to be on a blockchain or something decentralized and verifiable.
That being said, I really have to give props to the HN team for how well they do their job technically and politically compared to most internet forum sites.