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Ask HN: How can I do something meaningful?

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Re: Ask HN: How can I do something meaningful?

#41

Post by gillygize »

waterside81 wrote: post #20

I've been toying with the idea of an organization along the lines of Engineers without Borders ("Hackers without Borders"?) or something to that effect where developers lend their talents to causes all over the world. Not saying that an iPhone app can solve everything, but I'm sure there's quite a few ways where simple apps here or there could make a big difference. Does anyone know of something like this out in the…

I don't know of anything in particular, but this is a topic I have been interested in as well. I've recently been thinking that the training new developers around the world might be the best approach. Don't try to make the apps or programs yourself; train the locals in developing software and then let them apply those skills to solve their own problems. I would really be interested in something like this.

Re: Ask HN: How can I do something meaningful?

#42

Post by pnathan »

The company that employs me creates devices that help make electric power safer, more reliable, and more economical. We're not a startup, though. :-)

In my immediate memory, we've been working with electrification projects for two different Third World countries. Our technology has helped bring electricity to places that never had it before.

I'm proud to be a part of that.

Re: Ask HN: How can I do something meaningful?

#43

Post by ca136 »

kamens wrote: post #10

We'd love to have anyone passionate about changing the world of education apply to Khan Academy. http://www.khanacademy.org/jobs

Working in Education doesn't always have the same instant gratification as other projects, but if you can help people learn then you're going to have a very strong and lasting impact over time. And imagine if you created a product like, Khan Academy, that would increase the knowledge of 1% of the population by 10%. I think that's a worthy goal.

Re: Ask HN: How can I do something meaningful?

#44

Post by graemem »

I'm currently in India working with an NGO building software for surveying, rebuilding their website, and trying to work with a group at IIT who are building an open source GIS software.

There are plenty of NGOs who could use your skills. Governments are coming to expect computer work, GIS maps, survey data etc. This puts NGOs who are behind the times at a real disadvantage for getting funding and getting on with their projects.

There are plenty of things you could do outside your field aswell. Some research and finding some people in the know is all it would take. Have a look at Engineers without borders.

Re: Ask HN: How can I do something meaningful?

#45

Post by chailatte »

Careful, you might make new YC companies' head explode.

(YC S11) Interviewstreet is disrupting the recruitment space and create a place where the best hackers get the best jobs

(YC S11) Splitterbug private beta: track expenses with friends from your phone

Munch On Me (YC S11) Helps You Discover Tasty Dishes

Stypi (YC S11) Is Etherpad Reborn

Parse (YC S11): A Heroku For Mobile Apps

Envolve (YC S11) Launches An API For Real-Time Chat

Kicksend (YC S11) Launches To Make Sharing Big Files A Breeze

Snapjoy (YC S11) Will Organize Your Photos For You

Leaky (YC S11) is Hipmunk for Car Insurance

Picplum (YC S11) is automatic photo printing service created to help you easily share your best memories with friends and family

Plus about 10-15 (YC S11) Advertising companies (a guess)

And.....drumroll........

ZeroCater (YC W11) Raises $1.5 Million For No-Hassle Office Lunches

Re: Ask HN: How can I do something meaningful?

#47

Post by rubergly »

ca136 wrote: post #43
kamens wrote: post #10

We'd love to have anyone passionate about changing the world of education apply to Khan Academy. http://www.khanacademy.org/jobs

Working in Education doesn't always have the same instant gratification as other projects, but if you can help people learn then you're going to have a very strong and lasting impact over time. And imagine if you created a product like, Khan Academy, that would increase the knowledge of 1% of the population by 10%. I think that's a worthy goal.

Improving education doesn't have the same immediate benefits, but the way I see it insufficient education is at the root of most of the world's problems. With improving education, you make a ripple which turns into a huge wave.

Re: Ask HN: How can I do something meaningful?

#48

Post by onan_barbarian »

wccrawford wrote: post #5

And I think you're naive if you think that giants stand alone. They don't. They stand on the shoulders of the little people. Without restaurant finders, giants waste time trying to find a restaurant, instead of doing whatever world-improving they do. It's a cumulative thing, and without all the little niceties, the important stuff doesn't get done. Don't knock the little people. They're helping, too.

Giants, in my experience, don't spend a lot of time dithering about which restaurant to go to, organizing the photos on their hard drives, etc.

The "giant's" primary school teacher, sure. The guy that funded his first crackpot-sounding business. His admin assistant, etc. That forgotten 5th employee who wrote half the code... or all those other companies that the "giant" first bought and sold stuff to/from. But no - not generally a bunch of random 'lifestyle' startup guys peddling restaurant finders and photo organizers and casual games.

Re: Ask HN: How can I do something meaningful?

#49

Post by onan_barbarian »

kalvin wrote: post #14

When you say "these sorts of issues", it sounds like you're talking about injustice everywhere. You want to fix injustices-- food for the hungry-- instead of "adding happiness"-- better food photos for people with smartphones. In which case, I FEEL YOU. I'm infinitely more interested in SwipeGood than I am in Zynga. But everyone makes their own choices. Some people just aren't that concerned with injustice. Some peop…

I get and agree with the point you're making, and like the distinction that you're making, but I'm going to quibble a little about the choice of the name "adding happiness" as the counterpart to "fix injustices".

"Happiness" is a real stretch to describe the thing that a lot of these startups are "adding". "Pleasant distraction" might be a more apt phrase, or even just "pleasure". Or "yet one more goddamn reason to start vacantly at my smartphone, ignoring everything around me", if you're of a cynical bent.

Re: Ask HN: How can I do something meaningful?

#50

Post by ericd »

_delirium wrote: post #21
jodrellblank wrote: post #3

http://lesswrong.com/lw/3gj/efficient_charity_do_unto_others... "Just as there is only one best charity, there is only one best way to donate to that charity. Whether you volunteer versus donate money versus raise awareness is your own choice, but that choice has consequences. If a high-powered lawyer who makes $1,000 an hour chooses to take an hour off to help clean up litter on the beach, he's wasted the opportunit…

But what if your personal value system includes wanting your day job---what you spend 40 hours/wk or more doing---to be directly implementing something you care about? Sure, that's a selfish choice to some extent, but I think it's a reasonable one. Some people choose to live in one city over another just because they like it, or to work at Google rather than Wall Street because they like what they're building there m…

I think you're actually in agreement - if you can do more good via your day job than you could going out and doing manual labor, it's objectively better for the cause for you to do it via working more at your day job. It's just saying that it's silly for someone with a ton of leverage to abandon that leverage and volunteer as a manual laborer, rather than using the leverage to do a lot more good.
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