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I don't want to touch it if it had ads. Hacker News is a community I like because its users generally promote the "Hacker Ethic" [1]. As far as I can tell this

I don't want to touch it if it had ads. Hacker News is a community I like because its users generally promote the "Hacker Ethic" [1]. As far as I can tell this app has no infrastructure costs because it just uses the HN API. In putting ads on it, the app author is monetizing a free service they like to use. That is the opposite of the Hacker Ethic. [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacker_ethic https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacker_ethic

aswinmohanme 8y ago
I'm a student from India. Here parents are really strict about Computer time. The only way I can convince them isnto show them that this thing can generate some money. That's why I put ads, you know how hard I felt to put ads on something that you spend hours perfecting. My previous App was tet, it has no ads, but I really need to make some revenue to show them. You want to know what those Ads are, ther'e justification that I won't go broke if I pursue code.
- SquareWheel 8y ago
  Perhaps offering a one-time IAP to remove ads would satisfy all parties?
  - aswinmohanme 8y ago
    https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=me.aswinmohan.hacknewspro https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=me.aswinmohan....
  - Fnoord 8y ago
    The latest trend is subscriptions; pay X a year to remove ads. And, while I hate them (cause who needs more monthly expenses?) they're fair for the developer because one-time IAP isn't sustainable on the long term compared to sustainable income. That is of course assuming there is constant improvement on the app/data. Another trend is disabling ads via sub but still having tracking. At least GDPR attempts to fix it.
- brudgers 8y ago
  That makes sense to me. I only asked because I was curious about your decision process. Thanks.
- 40four 8y ago
  Why do they believe you would go broke pursuing code? Have you tried pointing them to some articles or statistics on the high levels of salaries software engineers make? I'm sure you know they make more than many professions, and the demand is ever rising. Seems like this should be an easy debate to win :)
  - chirau 8y ago
    I don't think you understand how different things are in the developing world. It took me 5 years and an international flight for them to the US just to make my parents understand the difference between pursuing a degree in CS and pursuing a degree in typing. It's not that they are ignorant, it's a lack of exposure and also just tough circumstances that may make it seem unrealistic. I totally understand the point he is making.
    - beenBoutIT 8y ago
      It's not necessarily easy to explain this concept to people living here in the US, unless they know someone who's made it work. The idea that a non-Doctor/Lawyer/Architect can make a decent life for themselves and provide for a family is only gradually catching on.
    - 40four 8y ago
      Wow, ok. I see what you are saying. Thank you for your perspective, it is illuminating.
- snthd 8y ago
  Could you spend some time teaching instead?
- nol13 8y ago
  You're supposed to add the ads after you establish your user base.
- foo101 8y ago
  > You want to know what those Ads are, ther'e justification that I won't go broke if I pursue code. That does not make any sense. Writing code to make a living is a very very popular profession in India. Your parents must be already aware of it. Heck, even those who can barely code can get jobs in the software-services based industry who put them through bootcamps to learn to code while already paying them to learn. I know of no other country where companies pay you to offer you 3-month long software development training for no work. I seriously don't buy that your parent needs any justification about pursuing coding as a profession.
- saagarjha 8y ago
  > I'm a student from India. Here parents are really strict about Computer time. The only way I can convince them isnto show them that this thing can generate some money. It's kind of disappointing that you have to make money right now for them to realize that you're learning a skill that pays extremely well in the long term…
  - beenBoutIT 8y ago
    To be fair, even if the app was reasonably clever, there's not a lot of places anywhere interested in hiring brand new Android engineers.
akarki15 8y ago
+100. I'm also not touching this.
scarface74 8y ago
So the "Hacker Ethic" means you should take a vow of poverty? I'm a professional developer that utilizes a lot of free and open source frameworks and languages. Should I not get paid for that either?
- caleblloyd 8y ago
  It's a concept from the book "Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution" > Access to computers—and anything which might teach you something about the way the world works—should be unlimited and total. Always yield to the Hands-On Imperative! Hacker News is a prime example of the Hacker Ethic. Wrapping Hacker News and putting ads on it is the opposite. Building useful software and selling it is fine, but following the Hacker Ethic would mean improving open source libraries that you consume or maybe open sourcing components of your software. Microsoft has been a prime example lately - developing .NET and many other libraries in the open these days. They are still making plenty of money but are also winning the approval of developers who like open source.
  - scarface74 8y ago
    Hacker News isn't a free service out of only the goodness of ycombinator's heart. They have "advertising" in the form of publicity for thier companies once per month. Dang has said as much.

aswinmohanme 8y ago

I'm a student from India. Here parents are really strict about Computer time. The only way I can convince them isnto show them that this thing can generate some money. That's why I put ads, you know how hard I felt to put ads on something that you spend hours perfecting. My previous App was tet, it has no ads, but I really need to make some revenue to show them. You want to know what those Ads are, ther'e justification that I won't go broke if I pursue code.

SquareWheel 8y ago
Perhaps offering a one-time IAP to remove ads would satisfy all parties?
- aswinmohanme 8y ago
  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=me.aswinmohan.hacknewspro https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=me.aswinmohan....
- Fnoord 8y ago
  The latest trend is subscriptions; pay X a year to remove ads. And, while I hate them (cause who needs more monthly expenses?) they're fair for the developer because one-time IAP isn't sustainable on the long term compared to sustainable income. That is of course assuming there is constant improvement on the app/data. Another trend is disabling ads via sub but still having tracking. At least GDPR attempts to fix it.
brudgers 8y ago
That makes sense to me. I only asked because I was curious about your decision process. Thanks.
40four 8y ago
Why do they believe you would go broke pursuing code? Have you tried pointing them to some articles or statistics on the high levels of salaries software engineers make? I'm sure you know they make more than many professions, and the demand is ever rising. Seems like this should be an easy debate to win :)
- chirau 8y ago
  I don't think you understand how different things are in the developing world. It took me 5 years and an international flight for them to the US just to make my parents understand the difference between pursuing a degree in CS and pursuing a degree in typing. It's not that they are ignorant, it's a lack of exposure and also just tough circumstances that may make it seem unrealistic. I totally understand the point he is making.
  - beenBoutIT 8y ago
    It's not necessarily easy to explain this concept to people living here in the US, unless they know someone who's made it work. The idea that a non-Doctor/Lawyer/Architect can make a decent life for themselves and provide for a family is only gradually catching on.
  - 40four 8y ago
    Wow, ok. I see what you are saying. Thank you for your perspective, it is illuminating.
snthd 8y ago
Could you spend some time teaching instead?
nol13 8y ago
You're supposed to add the ads after you establish your user base.
foo101 8y ago
> You want to know what those Ads are, ther'e justification that I won't go broke if I pursue code. That does not make any sense. Writing code to make a living is a very very popular profession in India. Your parents must be already aware of it. Heck, even those who can barely code can get jobs in the software-services based industry who put them through bootcamps to learn to code while already paying them to learn. I know of no other country where companies pay you to offer you 3-month long software development training for no work. I seriously don't buy that your parent needs any justification about pursuing coding as a profession.
saagarjha 8y ago
> I'm a student from India. Here parents are really strict about Computer time. The only way I can convince them isnto show them that this thing can generate some money. It's kind of disappointing that you have to make money right now for them to realize that you're learning a skill that pays extremely well in the long term…
- beenBoutIT 8y ago
  To be fair, even if the app was reasonably clever, there's not a lot of places anywhere interested in hiring brand new Android engineers.

akarki15 8y ago

+100. I'm also not touching this.

scarface74 8y ago

So the "Hacker Ethic" means you should take a vow of poverty? I'm a professional developer that utilizes a lot of free and open source frameworks and languages. Should I not get paid for that either?

caleblloyd 8y ago
It's a concept from the book "Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution" > Access to computers—and anything which might teach you something about the way the world works—should be unlimited and total. Always yield to the Hands-On Imperative! Hacker News is a prime example of the Hacker Ethic. Wrapping Hacker News and putting ads on it is the opposite. Building useful software and selling it is fine, but following the Hacker Ethic would mean improving open source libraries that you consume or maybe open sourcing components of your software. Microsoft has been a prime example lately - developing .NET and many other libraries in the open these days. They are still making plenty of money but are also winning the approval of developers who like open source.
- scarface74 8y ago
  Hacker News isn't a free service out of only the goodness of ycombinator's heart. They have "advertising" in the form of publicity for thier companies once per month. Dang has said as much.