a) You're suggesting that we start an HMO meme on Hacker News which clearly means "I'm looking for help, this is what I'm looking for help with"
b) This post is the first one and it's your list of things?
If so: Cool :) I can't help with any, but I thought that this clarification may help others.
I was also wondering to myself: would this be a good idea for a monthly thread a la Jobs/Freelancers/Open Source? I decided that it probably wouldn't be, because you'd end up with a difficult-to-read list of things that people may or may not need help with.
Articles like Tom's which include specific requests are probably the best format for such things. We don't want any information overload, right?
That is exactly what I'm proposing :) but I'm also proposing that it's helpful to always have this list top of mind so if you meet someone IRL and they say "let me know how I can help" you can give them some specific ways they can help.
> Articles like Tom's which include specific requests are probably the best format for such things. We don't want any information overload, right?
But most people's articles will never make the homepage. By having one posts (like the jobs threads), you keep all the information in one place and it gets better visibility. It's the opposite of overload; it's consolidation.
Also, those posts request a specific format (eg, starting with "LOOKING FOR WORK / Location") which helps others easily scan through the list and find what's relevant to them. The same can be done with HMO lists.
I've been wanting something like this forever. I hope this discussion gets it going on HN. I think it can greatly enhance the rate of product development. I've got one (or two) I'm well along on but I need specific help and I'd be all over it to help find that.
I'd actually like to see a monthly post along these lines, in the same was as the "Who's hiring" or "Freelancers required/available" posts. I don't think it works as well on a post by post basis but as a collection it'd make for good scanning.
I second this, it sounds like a good way to do it. A monthly thread where people can post projects they'd like help on and a way to get in touch if you're willing to help.
We have build http://DoerHub.com to tackle this head on. You post whatever projects you are working on (hackers, researchers, scientists, are are 50%+ of the community, but there are also marketers, subject matter experts, designers, etc). Examples:
Whoever sees your project can help in little or big ways, from joining the team to becoming an advisor or a beta user. Teams are soon getting public/private collaboration tools inside projects as well.
So you can really easily see people you have a lot in common with and share complementary skills with. An app with real-time chat and serendipity matching is in the works as well. It is entirely free, we haven't made a cent with it but some amazing projects are now in beta because of our work and people who would have never ever met otherwise (a hacker and a surgeon for example) are now doing projects together. There are growing past 600+ doers already and 80+ projects as of yesterday. You are welcome to join.
We don't spread it randomly. Instead we mention it only to communities of doers we respect and would want to work with and I hope you will do the same if you join in.
Totally random, unsolicited, off-topic feedback: this project seems cool and I suspect I might well be interested in using it, and I just bounced because I couldn't figure out how to explore it a bit without signing up. Basically exactly the same thing as https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7489870
This is probably a weird irrational hangup, but I tend to assign a fair amount of weight to account creation, and am in general extremely unlikely to register for anything before I am certain that I actually want it. I lurked HN and reddit for, like, a year each before I finally was compelled to create accounts due to people being wrong on the internet. I am unlikely to join your community if I can't lurk anonymously for a while first.
I have no idea whether this makes me strange, of if there is a substantial chunk of the population who acts similarly.
I love the idea. It really sounds awesome but no matter how often I visit, I can't stop myself from bouncing within the first minute. I'm by no means a designer or a ui expert, but it just feels so damn uninviting. The fonts are too small for me and the content is full of buzzwords, marketing speak, and the whole "connect, lead, mentor, impact, reinvent" thing sort of exhausted me. Connecting with others should be easy. Reading that made me feel like you added friction instead of removed it. All in all, the whole site feels very "global corporate" instead of grassroots movement.
Sorry if that came off overly harsh. I wish I had suggestions to give instead of just criticisms but design really isn't my forte. I can tell what works on me but not how to fix what doesn't.
Unsolicited respectful feedback: if I landed on your homepage without the context of this HN article, I wouldn't really understand what you're offering. Lot of jargon on the homepage. Even with the context, I'm not quite sure what I'm looking at on http://www.doerhub.com/for/doerhub I will probably investigate further because I have a vague idea of what DoerHub is and that it might be useful to me, but I wouldn't if I landed there cold.
Interesting idea. I prefer to work with people in my local area, is there a way to filter on that? I'm thinking of ways to foster more cooperation in the local startup scene and a sub-set of something like this might be an interesting option. Just a thought.
Could you elaborate on the github permissions required if I sign in via that method? Write access to all public repos is what I'm interested in particularly.
When you say "local" I assume you mean local to Brooklyn, NY. Might have been wise to mention that.
Framing does seem to be a dark art in the creative world. Framing local to where I am in the UK is expensive and there isn't anything [anymore] between the expensive, custom, wait-a-few-days, framing and IKEA.
Perhaps I should try and make a robot-controlled cross-cutting mitre saw and start a new business.
Ha, yes indeed I wasn't quite expecting an international audience from HN to swing by when I wrote it! Local is indeed Brooklyn, NY.
Actually, a 3D fabricating shop that did custom framing is not at all a bad idea. It costs a lot of money to frame things well and if you can do custom dimensions using robots you might be on to a winner!
for photos someone has done a site for relatively inexpensive, high quality custom built frames in the US. Mostly customizable and an example of a kludgy gui from yesteryear, that could easily be improved. They did put a youtube video on how to order on the front page.
I have no affiliation, but have bought frames there.
I'm still regularly amazed at the diversity of people who read and post on HN. There are artists, doctors, triathletes, cartoonists, real estate agents, veterans, vagabonds, marketers, ... And you may never know they're reading unless there's some catalyst to make the connection.
A monthly HMO post can be that catalyst.
And this can be the first. Just don't use this opportunity to purely pitch your product.
I wonder should there be a "Monthly non-Programmers chat" thread? Something where the conversation is by people/hackers who don't self-identify as programmers/sysadmins/techies to talk about things they are doing.
I've actually been working on an app to help create these serendipitous situations for a month. Exactly the same concept, but perhaps developed further.
And for the record:
I can help with JavaScript things and with honing your ideas. And I need help with JavaScripty things and honing my ideas.
London-based if anybody wants to get in touch and discuss changing the world or just creating something awesome!
Great! I love serendipity. As the other comment said - can you share early progress? Maybe HN can help! Or email me and I'll take a look :) Always happy to help out (also I used to live in London so might be able to connect you with folks)
I've been working on a website for almost 2 years (on&off). I'm right there at the final push to get it live, but I think I'm just a little burnt out from it. One of the things I'm struggling with is the pricing model I want to use. I'm trying to find that balance of a simple pricing scheme that scales well.
My site was made to run leagues & tourneys, and I'm a single founder. If anyone would like to talk with me on my business model ideas, my email is in my profile.
I've been working on some web programming with a coworking space in Nashville, TN that has a focus on artists and creatives. I think they would be interested in your service.
I can't provide feedback on their behalf, really, but I'd be happy to introduce you to them.
Also, I really love the idea of the HMO meme. The rate problems can be solved when pushed to a distributed, diverse audience such as HN is amazing.
Wow thiat turned out to to be something different from what I was expecting. I cringe every time I hear (or read) the words "Let me know how I can help" because that was the SIGNATURE phrase of one of the most useless, incompetent people I've ever worked with in my life. Nearly every email and converstation with this guy ended with that phrase. I now view it as a throwaway line of someone who doesn't have anything really helpful to offer.
What a nice idea! Inspired me to quickly create a very simple and basic tool. If there is sufficient interest, I will add additional features like categories, leaderboards, profiles, social login, ratings etc. If anyone wants to help me out, email me. :)
As for me, I've been working on a career finding tool to help people find good career fits. It's almost done, and I'm excited about launching it. But I'm not sure how to get the word out about it.
If you have any ideas, or would like to try it!, my email is dgurevich5 [at] gmail.com
Sorry I can't really provide an intro but I'm sure these guys could answer some of your questions. (they seem like good people)
http://www.artsicle.com/
This is great. For a community that so often looks to speak with target customers / audiences, we can really help each out either whether it's sharing our own experience or connecting people.
I always have people asking me if I can do X or Y, and I have to say no, and that I also don't know anyone who can do those things. This could be a good place to connect those dots.
[+] [-] basicallydan|12 years ago|reply
a) You're suggesting that we start an HMO meme on Hacker News which clearly means "I'm looking for help, this is what I'm looking for help with"
b) This post is the first one and it's your list of things?
If so: Cool :) I can't help with any, but I thought that this clarification may help others.
I was also wondering to myself: would this be a good idea for a monthly thread a la Jobs/Freelancers/Open Source? I decided that it probably wouldn't be, because you'd end up with a difficult-to-read list of things that people may or may not need help with.
Articles like Tom's which include specific requests are probably the best format for such things. We don't want any information overload, right?
[+] [-] topcat31|12 years ago|reply
I find it really works for serendipity!
[+] [-] gk1|12 years ago|reply
But most people's articles will never make the homepage. By having one posts (like the jobs threads), you keep all the information in one place and it gets better visibility. It's the opposite of overload; it's consolidation.
Also, those posts request a specific format (eg, starting with "LOOKING FOR WORK / Location") which helps others easily scan through the list and find what's relevant to them. The same can be done with HMO lists.
[+] [-] DonGateley|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] koryteg|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] petercooper|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ThomPete|12 years ago|reply
We have a little under 10K subscribers and although we haven't been as active recently we are ramping up with some new features too.
Disclaimer: I am the creator.
[+] [-] k-mcgrady|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Prefinem|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] dzink|12 years ago|reply
http://www.doerhub.com/for/doerhub (dogfooding)
http://www.doerhub.com/for/robopaint
http://www.doerhub.com/for/surgery-boards-app
http://www.doerhub.com/for/coincashcard
http://www.doerhub.com/for/synaptor
http://www.doerhub.com/for/securityfirst
Whoever sees your project can help in little or big ways, from joining the team to becoming an advisor or a beta user. Teams are soon getting public/private collaboration tools inside projects as well.
At the same time your profile shows what areas you are great at or looking for help in/learning in, example: http://doerhubassets.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/badge-67f14a8ee...
So you can really easily see people you have a lot in common with and share complementary skills with. An app with real-time chat and serendipity matching is in the works as well. It is entirely free, we haven't made a cent with it but some amazing projects are now in beta because of our work and people who would have never ever met otherwise (a hacker and a surgeon for example) are now doing projects together. There are growing past 600+ doers already and 80+ projects as of yesterday. You are welcome to join.
We don't spread it randomly. Instead we mention it only to communities of doers we respect and would want to work with and I hope you will do the same if you join in.
[+] [-] Nacraile|12 years ago|reply
This is probably a weird irrational hangup, but I tend to assign a fair amount of weight to account creation, and am in general extremely unlikely to register for anything before I am certain that I actually want it. I lurked HN and reddit for, like, a year each before I finally was compelled to create accounts due to people being wrong on the internet. I am unlikely to join your community if I can't lurk anonymously for a while first.
I have no idea whether this makes me strange, of if there is a substantial chunk of the population who acts similarly.
[+] [-] avalaunch|12 years ago|reply
Sorry if that came off overly harsh. I wish I had suggestions to give instead of just criticisms but design really isn't my forte. I can tell what works on me but not how to fix what doesn't.
[+] [-] Tarrosion|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] davros|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] greggman|12 years ago|reply
Please make a web based chat. Nothing worse than being forced to type on a phone when I'm already on a computer
[+] [-] pubb|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] HeyLaughingBoy|12 years ago|reply
Is this oral surgery on a ship? The "FR137" marker and door structure suggest that it is.
[+] [-] ejp|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] pbhjpbhj|12 years ago|reply
Framing does seem to be a dark art in the creative world. Framing local to where I am in the UK is expensive and there isn't anything [anymore] between the expensive, custom, wait-a-few-days, framing and IKEA.
Perhaps I should try and make a robot-controlled cross-cutting mitre saw and start a new business.
[+] [-] topcat31|12 years ago|reply
Actually, a 3D fabricating shop that did custom framing is not at all a bad idea. It costs a lot of money to frame things well and if you can do custom dimensions using robots you might be on to a winner!
[+] [-] acomjean|12 years ago|reply
I have no affiliation, but have bought frames there.
http://www.framedestination.com/
[+] [-] gk1|12 years ago|reply
A monthly HMO post can be that catalyst.
And this can be the first. Just don't use this opportunity to purely pitch your product.
[+] [-] rubiquity|12 years ago|reply
There's even computer programmers on here too.
[+] [-] rmc|12 years ago|reply
It could give us programmers new insights.
[+] [-] lhnz|12 years ago|reply
And for the record:
I can help with JavaScript things and with honing your ideas. And I need help with JavaScripty things and honing my ideas.
London-based if anybody wants to get in touch and discuss changing the world or just creating something awesome!
[+] [-] topcat31|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] basicallydan|12 years ago|reply
Perhaps we can help you hone this idea!
[+] [-] Justen|12 years ago|reply
My site was made to run leagues & tourneys, and I'm a single founder. If anyone would like to talk with me on my business model ideas, my email is in my profile.
[+] [-] carrollgt91|12 years ago|reply
I can't provide feedback on their behalf, really, but I'd be happy to introduce you to them.
Also, I really love the idea of the HMO meme. The rate problems can be solved when pushed to a distributed, diverse audience such as HN is amazing.
[+] [-] vincvinc|12 years ago|reply
They could all be organised on the same day, saving lots of time for those who don't want to be on HN too often!
[+] [-] ionforce|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ams6110|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] vijayr|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] adidash|12 years ago|reply
http://www.helphero.co/
[+] [-] unknown|12 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] harvestmoon|12 years ago|reply
As for me, I've been working on a career finding tool to help people find good career fits. It's almost done, and I'm excited about launching it. But I'm not sure how to get the word out about it.
If you have any ideas, or would like to try it!, my email is dgurevich5 [at] gmail.com
[+] [-] Ryel|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] topcat31|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ajiang|12 years ago|reply
Here's to HMO :)
[+] [-] peterwwillis|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] archildress|12 years ago|reply
- Some experience working with customer service. I will
- Any type of remote, non-technical (think business) work. I like finance and Analytics.
Offering:
- Analytics help (setup and mostly data interpretation, telling the story of your traffic)
[+] [-] jasdeepsingh|12 years ago|reply
his email: richardsondx [at] gmail.com
[+] [-] nekopa|12 years ago|reply
How about this format?
[+] [-] olalonde|12 years ago|reply