It gave me a job, a company, and a sense of purpose. In 2012 I did a Show HN for GitLab.com https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4428278 Today we are 1800 contributors and a company of 220 on a mission to ensure that everyone can contribute.
Ask HN: What has HN given you?
31–40 of 602 posts
Re: Ask HN: What has HN given you?
#32Beyond learning a lot of stuff that I don't think I would of been introduced to and/or thought about looking for, it has given me 8.5 years of my favorite side-project to date with http://hackernewsletter.com. With it I've met a ton of folks and the best company to work for that I could of asked for.
Re: Ask HN: What has HN given you?
#33Silly, but some self assurance. I'm mostly anonymous here, so my job history / pedigree doesn't weigh into anything.
But, I still manage to be in the middle of meaningful discussion, and contribute something worthwhile here and there. Even got a few thank-you notes over a 2 year period.
Tldr: Helps with imposter syndrome.
Re: Ask HN: What has HN given you?
#34HN gives me hopes about humanity every day; while the news give me dispair.
Re: Ask HN: What has HN given you?
#35For me the coolest thing about HN is the breadth of experts here for any (even niche) tech field. This allows for in depth understanding of new products (when someone who actually worked on the team making it is here) or calling out conspiracy theories about why some company shut down some product (because they have inside knowledge and can actually explain the reasoning). I can't count how many times I've read 'I wo…
Agreed. The wide spread of experts who come out and give first hand accounts of the event/product being discussed adds a tremendous amount of value to the discussion on the site. Discussion on this site is by no means perfect but it is miles ahead of the alternatives out there.
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Re: Ask HN: What has HN given you?
#36I learned what to learn. Reading comments gave me tips on how to improve my skills and experience. So thanks to all the nameless experts out there on HN!
Re: Ask HN: What has HN given you?
#37Lectured at for over 2 years that I knew why I was rate limited. Got told for 2 years that I made “low quality” posts. It gave me a sense on injustice. You be the judge.
So then why on earth are you still on here?? (rhetorical question) Life's too short. Well, some people seem to just enjoy playing the wronged, misunderstood martyr, for whatever reason.
Re: Ask HN: What has HN given you?
#38One of the few places that still makes me go wow.
80% of the time I'll only read the comments for the insights, love the general positivity and sense of wonder that the community brings to a wide range of topics that I would be unlikely to come across otherwise.
Thank you all!
Re: Ask HN: What has HN given you?
#39I've been through a lot of web communities. HN is easily the most intellectual, respectful, and diverse. The simple reason is that we like to be here! In the same way that it takes a village to raise a child, your understanding of the world around you is drastically deepened by various points of view. I don't expect to find a better village anytime soon.
This says it quite well.
I'd just add that frequently someone will mention something, anywhere from some open-source project to some deep area of science, and the author mentioned, (who is already a member!) chimes in with clarifications and further explanation. Wow.
Re: Ask HN: What has HN given you?
#40Beyond learning a lot of stuff that I don't think I would of been introduced to and/or thought about looking for, it has given me 8.5 years of my favorite side-project to date with http://hackernewsletter.com . With it I've met a ton of folks and the best company to work for that I could of asked for.
Just signed up! Thanks for making cool things