So let me ask just one question. Are the posts there better or worse than the comments sections on youtube?
Youtube is possibly the worst. But even when it is decent, their interface, especially on mobile is so terrible that it makes a good user experience impossible.
Case in point: DailyTech.
Too much intellectually-fraudulent drivel in the comments there because of the voting system. I quit reading it because of that. If ever there was a demonstration of the fact that argumentum ad populum is fallacious.
That place was taken over by low information wright wingers and if you said anything remotely informed, you'd get 10 people voting you down. Not to mention that an increasing percentage of the articles were borderline fake news as the site got older. Anandtech was such a great site back in it's day and I thought it was an embarrassment that it was partnered with such a site.
I've always been fascinated with the death of games and forums. I think Facebook, Twitter and the ease of mobile IMs have killed a lot of peoples' itch for discussion forums with random people on the internet.
Then big comment sites like youtube and reddit have also worn down the population of people who like to comment.