My favorite programming niche is SEO optimization. I really like optimizing pages and see the traffic grow.
Are you good at it? How long does it take to do 80% of the job? Do you freelance?
The best #1
Ask HN: What's your favorite programmer niche?
81–90 of 112 posts
Re: Ask HN: What's your favorite programmer niche?
#82I really like reading RFCs and then implementing the protocols that they describe. Preferably just do it in some plain language without any libraries, just plain old TCP/UDP.
A few years back, I needed an x-plat crypto library for HMAC/SHA1 on an open-source project. So, I wen't to the RFCs and built it myself - really fun.
Re: Ask HN: What's your favorite programmer niche?
#83Re: Ask HN: What's your favorite programmer niche?
#84Earlier quoted context omitted.
The best #1
Must be thrilling. Easy to sell too.
Here’s the result http://catonmat.net/if-you-build-it-they-will-come
Re: Ask HN: What's your favorite programmer niche?
#85Earlier quoted context omitted.
That's not programming, mate.
It's not computation in a traditional sense, but it's programming of a kind.
There’s a lot of computation as well, for example NLP for keyword research, finding trends and drawing graphs in keyword monitoring, and do much more.
Re: Ask HN: What's your favorite programmer niche?
#86Earlier quoted context omitted.
>Tinkering with microcontrollers is probably the most satisfying Not so satisfying when seeing the pay-grade compared to other CS fields.
Do you expect your spare-time programming projects to fall in a specific salary range?
No son of mine will join the local youth soccer team unless he gets a competitive salary and 401(k)!
Re: Ask HN: What's your favorite programmer niche?
#87Earlier quoted context omitted.
These are far more satisfying than dot matrix or laser printers. I used to draw stage lighting plots with them in college in the mid-80's. So much fun to watch them work.
I worked in a construction company where we drawed blueprints in AutoCAD for these pen plotters. It was very soothing to see them work, but we had this pervert engineer who would caress the long brush's hairs under them and whisper sexy things. Unfortunately, that is irremediably linked in my mind to pen plotters.
I want to buy that robosexual colleague of yours a beer. Maybe he could seduce my apartment's AC into actually working in the summer?
Re: Ask HN: What's your favorite programmer niche?
#88Search engines. In recent years its become increasingly difficult to navigate the popular search engines. Results have become too general, too much SEO spam, not enough tools for filtering results, a lot of page bloat. I'm currently working on my own search engine[0] to test a few ideas I have for improving search results. Right now its mostly just a front end for the bing index with some adjustments, but I'm working on creating my own index.
Re: Ask HN: What's your favorite programmer niche?
#89Earlier quoted context omitted.
> your favorite niche will stop becoming favorite when you know enough about it. This is a good time to write a "Lies Programmers Believe About (Niche)" piece.
> This is a good time to write a "Lies Programmers Believe About (Niche)" piece. And switch careers to blogging about programming? New niche!
Then you can write Lies Programmers Believe About Blogging".
Re: Ask HN: What's your favorite programmer niche?
#90Chatbots. I've written so many over the course of my life on everything from a Haskell math solving IRC bot to a chatops bot where I can check on my personal builds and AWS environment just by asking it in plain English. I even did one to help with my Discord D&D dming.