What the projects/ NGOs that I can help online using my software engineering/data analytics skills? Perhaps you can share personal projects that you were able to use to help people and community around you
Ask HN: How can I volunteer my software skills online?
1–10 of 62 posts
Re: Ask HN: How can I volunteer my software skills online?
#2One initiative that comes to mind is the Humanitarian Toolbox: http://www.htbox.org/
Re: Ask HN: How can I volunteer my software skills online?
#3hello
Re: Ask HN: How can I volunteer my software skills online?
#4hello
Re: Ask HN: How can I volunteer my software skills online?
#5Think about the problems in your neighborhood and try to imagine creative solutions to them that you can implement with your skillset. It doesn't need to be a global problem to be worthwhile solving - sometimes helping our just a handful of people can feel extremely worthwhile.
This is how I got involved with a personal project. A few years ago I had trouble finding a listing of all Karate dojos in my vicinity. I compiled a list of such dojos in Excel, and later decided to put them online [0]. By putting this dataset online, and maintaining it up to date I am helping other people who are looking for a new place to train a sport.
This project not only helps the community (who can now easily find karate and other sports clubs easily through the project website) but also helped me learn new technologies and practice skill that I don't excel at, like design, writing, marketing, etc. Just yesterday I took the project to the next level and started doing same simple data analysis of the dataset [1].
While the project may not have a very large impact on the community, it does sufficiently so to feel worthwhile. Moreover, being able to play with different skills in a low stress environment makes is very enjoyable.
[0] http://www.klubi.si/ [1] https://medium.com/@pedro.kostelec/analyzing-the-market-size...
Re: Ask HN: How can I volunteer my software skills online?
#6The UK has a bunch of open data sets.
You could find one that interests you and wrangle the data into something useful for the public.
I'd be interested to see some of these sets combined. For one example, the Office for National Statistics releases information about death by suicide, and the NHS releases prescribing data. (Also available on the excellent openprescribing.net site)
I'd like to see something that combines the two. Maybe a map of deaths by overdose and by prescribing of the top 5 meds used.
This work could help reduce death by suicide which is a significant cause of preventable death, and attempted suicide which is a significant cause of avoidable harm. (Sadly we can't just say "reducing human suffering is the right thing to do", we have to say "it's the cost effective thing to do".
Open Prescribing: https://openprescribing.net/
ONS "Suicides in the UK": https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsde...
National Confidential Inquiry: http://research.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/cmhs/research/centrefor...
Re: Ask HN: How can I volunteer my software skills online?
#7Re: Ask HN: How can I volunteer my software skills online?
#8You should start off by limiting yourself because it's easy to get in over your head once you start down the path of unpaid work. I volunteer 20% of my time (one day a week) to non-profits so they know what they're getting.
Most of the jobs I got at first were through volunteering in other ways. I was a driver at a summer camp for underprivileged kids when I found that they needed a registration system they couldn't afford. And an animal shelter where I used to walk dogs had a little gift shop that sold handmade items so I set up an online store and their revenue went up 800%. Little projects like that can make a huge impact with little effort.
Then I blogged about the projects and now I regularly get requests through that. There are a lot of NGOs searching online for people like you so all you need to do is make yourself visible.
Re: Ask HN: How can I volunteer my software skills online?
#9You should start off by limiting yourself because it's easy to get in over your head once you start down the path of unpaid work. I volunteer 20% of my time (one day a week) to non-profits so they know what they're getting. Most of the jobs I got at first were through volunteering in other ways. I was a driver at a summer camp for underprivileged kids when I found that they needed a registration system they couldn't…
could you please link to your blog?
Re: Ask HN: How can I volunteer my software skills online?
#10Have you heard of Open Source software? You can literally find hundreds of thousands of software projects that publish their sources under free licenses for you to improve upon. I am sure you have some hobbies or niche interests where software could use a little help.