Why would you want non-programmers to hang out at sites like HN? You are then recommending they go to Stack? This is a bad advise (happy?). But really!

I am a self-learner and I am attempting to self-learn programming lately. I would not send anyone to these two types of sites which you are recommending right out of the gate. There is no chance anyone would learn programming via HN. And a newbie commenting at Stack is going to get a rude awakening (which would then lead to morale loss).