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Ask HN: Where have you found community outside of work?

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Re: Ask HN: Where have you found community outside of work?

#461

Post by mcint »

jmcdowell wrote: post #156
torvald wrote: post #18

Hackerspaces! Check this list [0], maybe there is one close to you – and if you by any chance live in Oslo – swing by Hackeriet [1]. [0] https://wiki.hackerspaces.org/List_of_Hacker_Spaces [1] https://hackeriet.no/index.en.html

Out of interest, do you find many working on software projects at hacker spaces? Each one I've looked at online seems to have more of a focus on hardware, electronics, metal/wood working with little mention of software. The caveat is that I've only really looked at UK based ones so this may be regional. I've been trying to find a space that has a similar energy as my old university CS lab. There was a bit of a perfec…

Look for local meetups, that's where you can find people who want to engage more broadly. Appropriate spaces may host these, or you may be able to find out about good hangouts from other meetup attendees.

In hackerspaces, I find that software-focused people have different patterns of use than tool focused people. They need to sit down for some focus time, which is hard to distinguish from just browsing from afar. When people use tools, it's clear to see. Speaking from experience with SF/Noisebridge, Oakland/SudoRoom-Omni-commons, Sacramento/Hacker Lab, and visiting some spaces while traveling.

Re: Ask HN: Where have you found community outside of work?

#462

Post by lannisterstark »

redleggedfrog wrote: post #134
osdoorp wrote: post #114

Volunteering. And before you brush it out skeptically, like "oh yeah right, those people", it really doesn't have to be anything you don't care about. I volunteer at a boat house on the city lake nearby, just putting kids on pedal boats and kayaks. I don't even call it volunteering, I just love kayaks and water. It's amazing how your perspective of time and people and service shifts, when you spend some time being "i…

I wish this wasn't brushed off, but when I suggest it, frequently, as a scientifically proven method of improving happiness, well, it gets brushed off. I guess it's really difficult to relate just how much it can improve your life. Some of the highlights of my entire life have been coaching 3rd/4th grade girls basketball at a YMCA. Yeah, it's a lot of work at the time, but the memories are priceless, and the benefit…

>scientifically proven method of improving happiness

Imma second request for that citation, chief.

Re: Ask HN: Where have you found community outside of work?

#463

Post by lannisterstark »

mptest wrote: post #268
carlosjobim wrote: post #247

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think volunteering gets brushed off because in many places it is just a pure scam. The organizations collect money and then charge volunteers exorbitant sums for the privilege of working for free. I looked at volunteering about 15 years ago and from what I saw then, I have never entertained the thought again.

>In many places it is just a pure scam Seems a pretty overly strong statement, no? Is there any research in to percentage of non profit efforts that are/aren't legitimate? Can you elaborate on "what I saw then" that made you think it was indicative of the entire idea of volunteer work? I have had the opposite experience. All the best people in the world I've met have been volunteering for one thing or another. As a y…

>Seems a pretty overly strong statement, no?

No.

You're assuming every place and organization on the PLANET is like the one where you volunteer at. it's not.

Re: Ask HN: Where have you found community outside of work?

#465

Post by [deleted] »

AndrewKemendo wrote: post #328
silisili wrote: post #88

My neighborhood. When we moved in we sat out front every evening, and made small talk with every single person who walked by. Some were caught off guard, some kinda just waved and moved on, but most stopped to talk. What's interesting is that people who had lived in that neighborhood nearly 20 years together had never talked, and met for the first time as both stopped to chat at nearly the same time. Then we started…

Yes this exactly. I threw a block party last year and the community loved it and most were like "you know we haven't had one in years." A year later and we've found lost dogs, gotten people employed and I have some of the best and strongest relationships in years - and my kids have a ton of others to hang with of all ages (7-15) When in hard times, build Communities not bunkers

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: Where have you found community outside of work?

#466

Post by lannisterstark »

shrimp_emoji wrote: post #431
conductr wrote: post #430

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m not religious at all, rather agnostic, but my wife is a nonpracticing Christian. (Although I find a good sermon/pastor to be motivating, thought provoking, and just full of basic life lessons that happen to he documented in an old book). I’m fine with the concept of the right church because of the community effects especially as a parent and wanting my kid to have as many positive role models as possible in his l…

[flagged]

what is even the point of this comment?

Re: Ask HN: Where have you found community outside of work?

#468

Post by [deleted] »

bsnnkv wrote: post #102

I live in Seattle, Cap Hill. Before I moved here and when I first moved here (from London) people told me that Seattle was a terrible place to make friends and build a community. My experience has been exactly the opposite; this has been the best place I've ever lived for making friends and building community, especially as a sober person. The order of importance, I have found community here in: - Swing dancing, both…

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: Where have you found community outside of work?

#469

Post by lynx23 »

probablynish wrote: post #317
lynx23 wrote: post #64

Reading the comments, I notice a lot of posters seek out tech communities. While I get why a nerd would want to do that, I have a different tendency. Most of my outside-of-work activities are actually not tech related. Sure, I have a bunch of private projects to work on, but I usually do that in single player mode. I picked up a number of "also working in tech" friends over time, and going out with them is still fun…

Out of curiosity, what are your outside of work activities?

Playing Guitar/Piano/Flute/Handpan/Didgeridoo, Wing Tsun (Martial Arts), Archery. Just to name some.
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