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Ask HN: Any interesting niche hobbies?

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491–500 of 769 posts

Re: Ask HN: Any interesting niche hobbies?

#491

Walking and finding history if your location has such history to offer to find. People pay vast accruing cumulative sums over time to go to the gym and my exercise pays me with every single walk. Some of that modern human history I have found dates back hundreds of years in the form of coins and bottles while some of the native human history I have found dates back 10 thousand years. I cannot neglect the fossils eith…

Curious if you mean metal detecting. Either way, sounds like a great location!

Re: Ask HN: Any interesting niche hobbies?

#492

I got myself involved with a nonprofit local group preserving local pioneer era apple trees. They've been DNA testing and cataloging the trees, and had all the info stashed away in google drive and onedrive folders. The founder was looking to step back so they asked me if I wanted to step up as project lead, which I did. I took the info and organized it into a nice wiki-style site with maps and descriptions so everyo…

Anyway to petition Washington State to RELEASE the Cosmic Crisps?

WSU faculty here. The Cosmic Crisp is under license to Washington state growers for ten years, starting in about 2019, so it will be a few years yet.

Re: Ask HN: Any interesting niche hobbies?

#493
post #132

I've been playing exclusively CRPGs for the last 12 months or so, which was kinda a niche genre before the success of BG3. There are tons of way to beat those games and optimizing how you build your party and characters (what players call "min-maxing") while following a highly narrative story is a lot of fun. Most of them are quite old and often on sales for like 5 bucks on Steam, for which you get hundreds of hours…

I always meant to go back to Wizardry 7 I think it is. (Or 5, I forget) I was convinced that a party of all Ninjas and Samurai would be unstoppable, but I never could make it work. I recall leveling up to a point where a high enough character would get 3 attacks per turn, and then when hit counterattack twice. Multiply this by the whole party. But realistically, at some point this flurry of attacks every round just f…

Fight Fight Fight, Parry Parry Parry.

Re: Ask HN: Any interesting niche hobbies?

#494

My hobby is organizing in-person meetups for random people to get together, chat and make friends. Barely structured, if at all. I've found this rewarding and ended up making friends this way. You have to accept that 5-15% of the people who would show up to something like this are genuine weirdos you probably don't want to be around. And another 10% at any given meetup are autistic or neuro-divergent but well-meaning…

> You have to accept that 5-15% of the people who would show up to something like this are genuine weirdos Thanks for unlocking a new anxiety for me.

This is just par for the course of human existence. Lump it under all the other "human situation" stuff, somewhere between "stubbed toe" and "cancer."

Re: Ask HN: Any interesting niche hobbies?

#495

I’m obsessed with powerlifting. Not only because big numbers get bigger but also the physical changes that occur with a healthy dose of lifting each week. It’s also easy to track lifting stats and there are tons of analysis tools out there if data analysis is something you enjoy. Also, I’m trying to learn guitar - right now following the Justinguitar.com lessons

I do powerlifting 3x a week but I don't otherwise view myself as obsessed with it. I don't have a coach, I don't enter competitions. I know my PRs in my head but I don't keep spreadsheets or stats or have any kind of real programming. I don't video my lifts, I don't post about it on social media. I'm just content with getting stronger. I really don't get obsessed with anything, which might be a fault as that seems to…

ditto. I don't have great numbers, my bench is terrible, not even 1.5x BW, but I did manage to get my DL to ~2.5x in a competition, then tweaked my back and now only double overhand, which means my grip tends to go when I get to ~2x BW (my gym doesn't allow chalk, and I don't use straps, so it is what it is).

Re: Ask HN: Any interesting niche hobbies?

#496
post #114

I don't think it's a niche hobby, but I really enjoy cooking. Trying out new techniques and receipts, cooking dinner for friends and family or just preparing a delicious meal in advance.

Cooking is possibly the least niche hobby ever, but it sounds like you're elevating it. Maybe call it "gastronomy", lol.

Re: Ask HN: Any interesting niche hobbies?

#497

I’m obsessed with powerlifting. Not only because big numbers get bigger but also the physical changes that occur with a healthy dose of lifting each week. It’s also easy to track lifting stats and there are tons of analysis tools out there if data analysis is something you enjoy. Also, I’m trying to learn guitar - right now following the Justinguitar.com lessons

one of my favorite parts of powerlifting, opposed to hiit or other fitness lifting, is the lack in physical change. i feel like i look the same but can point to numbers that show im much stronger

my clothes haven't changed in size, but I fill them out better, is probably best to describe it!

Re: Ask HN: Any interesting niche hobbies?

#498
post #73

My hobby is organizing in-person meetups for random people to get together, chat and make friends. Barely structured, if at all. I've found this rewarding and ended up making friends this way. You have to accept that 5-15% of the people who would show up to something like this are genuine weirdos you probably don't want to be around. And another 10% at any given meetup are autistic or neuro-divergent but well-meaning…

Between the genuine weirdos, the autistic and/or the neuro-divergent, is there anyone left, really? Do the "normies" genuinely exist? Happy-go-lucky, knows a bit about everything but doesn't nerd out on anything, picks up every conversation subject and listens and holds their own in a manner that is just right? I am genuinely curious about the existence of these "superhumans".

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: Any interesting niche hobbies?

#499

My hobby is organizing in-person meetups for random people to get together, chat and make friends. Barely structured, if at all. I've found this rewarding and ended up making friends this way. You have to accept that 5-15% of the people who would show up to something like this are genuine weirdos you probably don't want to be around. And another 10% at any given meetup are autistic or neuro-divergent but well-meaning…

Have you done any write ups about how best to go about doing something like this? I'd love to organize something like this in my local community but somehow am not sure where or how to start really.

Context dependant. I do similar to the OP. Sometimes my events have one other person, sometimes 40.

First, you have to do whatever it takes to make you able to just do things alone, frequently, and then go ahead and do things alone, frequently. Picnics, cafe co-working, reading in a lounge/cafe/bar, walks, bike rides, hikes, photo walks, star gazing, whatever. Literally anything.

You'll probably meet people while doing this. Get their contact info. Eventually, mention "oh hey I play basketball a couple times a month, want me to text you next time I'm planning?" Repeat, you have a crew or five. A couple group chats.

Then start planning bigger events. Book 8 person tables at a restaurant, then drop a note in your chat like this:

``` Reservation for 8 at UR Meat on Tuesday April whatever, 7pm, the new kbbq place near zhongxiao fuxing station.

1. komali2

2.

3.

4...

```

People will copy/paste adding their name so you can see how many seats are filled. I've tried 10 other booking platforms, apps, whatever, nothing beats the group text thing. The group chat is where shit happens.

For more casual events like picnics, just drop a maps link and a time, remind people a couple days before, day before, and day of send a pic with where you are in the park or whatever (the "final push" for people are hesitant but see that it's really real and thus come).

Repeat, scale as desired. The consistent thread is that you have to Just Do Stuff, and people have to know that you'll Just Do Stuff regardless if people come or not, so they come see you as a dependable and fun person, a great person to tag along with.

Re: Ask HN: Any interesting niche hobbies?

#500
post #231
post #218

I don't know if it's niche, but I like making granola for my friends and family. I give them a big jar and tell them free refills are included ("just bring me the empty jar"). I get pretty good nuts and tend to make largish batches (around 2 kg), and, because of the refills, I get a good sense of who appreciates it — always happy to make more for them. My recipe is here: https://alejo.ch/365

any chance we got it in English? would love to try

You need help translating a two-step recipe?

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