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Ask HN: Where can I find a software job that helps society?

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Re: Ask HN: Where can I find a software job that helps society?

#71

Post by Theodores »

kevinskii wrote: post #21

If you are creating products that people are willing to pay money for, then most likely you are being a huge help to society.

This is so true. The problem with charities is that so much money needs to be raised to pay for the people that manage the people that raise money. Then the people that spend the money raised expect to be treated like heroes. Plus charities don't pay tax so it is all a bit silly.

Compare with getting into ecommerce and working with some small businesses that don't yet sell online. For example, suppose you team up with a business in the Himalayas that sells genuine Tibetan Monkey Stones to passing tourists that just so happen to be newly wed. Put their business online so that people all over the world can buy traditional Tibetan Monkey Stones for friends getting married. Get the orders in, make people happy on their special day, help some business get more than passing trade, potentially to grow and take on new employees, everyone is a winner. No inane fundraisers needed.

Re: Ask HN: Where can I find a software job that helps society?

#73

Post by dleve123 »

I am leading the technical team at Healthify. We are a seed stage HIT startup based out of NYC tackling the social needs (e.g. food access, domestic violence, living situation) of patients (mostly Medicaid). We have a strong business model and are ready to grow our team. If you want to code for the greater good (RoR stack), visit healthify.us and send Dan an email with your resume, Github profile, and cover letter!

Re: Ask HN: Where can I find a software job that helps society?

#74

Post by eli_gottlieb »

Technophobe wrote: post #29
scottalpert wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, been there, done that. I'm all in favor. But now, I want some of those warm fuzzies....

So I take it you're aware of the concept of buying good feelings, and true positive impact separately? http://lesswrong.com/lw/6z/purchase_fuzzies_and_utilons_sepa...

Ah, and here I was looking for an example of LessWrong being neoliberal in outlook!

You can't presume that the exploited-away surplus-value or negative externalities from your high-paying-donate-to-charity job actually exceed the good you're doing by donating to charity with the proceeds of your work. Warm fuzzies are, at the very least, a reasonable guide to doing work that's relatively sure to be relatively purer good.

Re: Ask HN: Where can I find a software job that helps society?

#75

Post by fiachamp »

i would check out www.breakthrough.com , they are creating a platform that could help tens of millions of people deal with the stigma / difficulty of getting treatment for mental health. this is a huuuge social issue, probably 10% of the entire population of the US deals with mental illness and a lot of people are undiagnosed or can't get treatment because it is expensive, embarassing, stigmatized, etc.

Re: Ask HN: Where can I find a software job that helps society?

#77

Post by RougeFemme »

scottalpert wrote: post #28
spartango wrote: post #25

If you are interested in getting your hands dirty around the world, you might checkout Engineers without Borders[1] or the Peace Corps[2], or one of many similar non-profit organizations that employ skilled people to help others around the world. You might even volunteer with the Red Cross to help victims of the typhoon in the Philippines. On the less philanthropic end of things, there are a host of organizations sol…

Volunteering's good. I do it. But ya gotta earn a living somehow. And yes, biomed is a good space to do well while doing good.

http://unos.org/ - primary mission is to maintain organ transplant lists.

You won't get rich, but you'll have money left over after paying your bills.

Vision statement

To promote long, healthy and productive lives for persons with organ failure by promoting maximized organ supply, effective and safe care, and equitable organ allocation and access to transplantation.

Mission statement

To advance organ availability and transplantation by uniting and supporting its communities for the benefit of patients through education, technology and policy development.

Re: Ask HN: Where can I find a software job that helps society?

#79

Post by voltagex_ »

nakkiel wrote: post #51
gmisra wrote: post #35

Pretty sure each answer reveals a bit about each of our value functions (and what we read on-line). Here goes: ProPublica http://www.propublica.org/about/jobs Maplight http://maplight.org/content/jobs-at-maplight Sunlight Foundation http://sunlightfoundation.com/jobs/ Rootstrikers http://www.rootstrikers.org/ resource.org https://public.resource.org/ Code for America http://codeforamerica.org/ Engineers Without Borde…

Add to that list: Telecoms Sans Frontieres http://tsfi.org

I'd never heard of these guys. Telecomix does similar things, but with more activism and politics involved.
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