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As a programmer I've been trying to think of a way to do my own Offer HN or the like. The problem is that most programming projects are much broader in scope a

As a programmer I've been trying to think of a way to do my own Offer HN or the like. The problem is that most programming projects are much broader in scope and there's a learning curve to learning my code for someone else who follows up. I'd be open to suggestions for how I could lend my programming knowledge to this phenomenon.

tlrobinson 16y ago
Maybe something like Wil Shipley's "Pimp My Code" series where he gives feedback to Cocoa programmers, but for your area of expertise, of course. http://www.google.com/search?q=pimp+my+code+site%3Awilshipley.com http://www.google.com/search?q=pimp+my+code+site%3Awilshiple...
- terryjsmith 16y ago
  I've thought about that. The problem is that I'm the first to admit I'm not a fantastic programmer. My strongest trait is just getting stuff done and getting code out the door.
  - Ixiaus 16y ago
    That's good personal insight - become a fantastic programmer.
    - terryjsmith 16y ago
      I'm certainly trying. I am a CS dropout and feel like I'm lacking a good bit of theory (algorithms and math specifically). I gobble up what I can find that actually makes theory applicable/interesting.
      - aaronblohowiak 16y ago
        Dsp for engineers is a fun read that makes a certain class of problems interesting, approachable and understood
      - fourk 16y ago
        I too am a CS dropout, and am grateful every single day for having dropped out. I learn more in a week of working at the startup I'm at than I did in a month of college. I'm only 3 months into doing real-world professional development, but I believe that this will still be true a year from today, and I hope that it will still be true 10 years down the line. I too am lacking in some of the theoretical stuff, and have found MIT's open courseware (their intro to algorithms course: http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electrical-engineering-and-computer-science/6-046j-introduction-to-algorithms-sma-5503-fall-2005/video-lectures/ http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electrical-engineering-and-comput... ) to be incredibly useful in supplementing what I missed while in school. I've also heard good things about Khan academy but haven't checked it out yet.
        Ixiaus 16y ago
        I'm a high school drop out and had a very similar reaction to yours for the first couple of years. Thing is this: industry teaches you process and refinement; not (or rarely) theory. You must obtain some sort of abstract theoretical foundation to be a "fantastic" programmer - whether you do that through self-education or a formal education doesn't matter. I've personally taken the former route - rigorous self directed learning with a dash of discipline and love for the knowledge will turn you into something far greater than what could be elicited from you by "just going through the motions" at a college. Granted. I'll probably be going to college soon anyways because I want to pursue Aerospace - but that's, again, self inspired (rather than "ZOMG I NEED TO GOTO SCHOOL OR MY PARENTS WON'T KEEP PAYING MY RENT" - not saying all people are like that, I know more likely than not most people are self-sufficient; I said that more in line with how parents tend to enforce college on their kids instead of letting them be inspired to the action).
  - jacquesm 16y ago
    Not for one thing or another but: > The problem is that I'm the first to admit I'm not a fantastic programmer. Is a trait unfortunately very few programmers actually have, most of them think they're aces (especially when they're not) and: > My strongest trait is just getting stuff done and getting code out the door. Is a very desirable property. I think you're not half as bad as you may think you are. The mentality you display is more or less exactly what I'd be looking for in a new hire.
    - wakeup 16y ago
      Dont think, feel! You aren't basing on anything anyways.
    - TheSOB88 16y ago
      But not what you'd necessarily be looking for in someone who critiques code
  - SkyMarshal 16y ago
    Maybe you could offer to help solve bugs that someone has been having a hard time with. Sometimes all it takes is a pair of fresh eyes to spot the problem.
    - stevejalim 16y ago
      I appreciate the sentiment, but isn't that kinda in the StackOverflow space, where you'd get far more eyes on it (tho potentially of far more spread ability)
      - SkyMarshal 16y ago
        I thought SO was for more general questions. Do alot of people ask for help solving specific bugs there?
  - DaveChild 16y ago
    Maybe the best thing you can do is build that drive in others. Hell, I've got two web projects that have been meandering along for over a year, both not launch-ready - getting stuff out of the door is, for me (and I imagine many others), the biggest problem. Perhaps you could be some sort of "entrepreneurial personal trainer" :)
  - messel 16y ago
    No big ego: check. Ships: check. I don't see a problem.
StavrosK 16y ago
I'm thinking of offering to help someone create a weekend project, if they can design but not program or whatever. I've been looking for a small project to do (no longer than a weekend) to familiarise myself with AppEngine, but I don't know what sort of uptake this would have, in a community of programmers.
- jacquesm 16y ago
  offtopic: how did your price experiment work out? Mail me, I'm super curious!
  - StavrosK 16y ago
    Unfortunately, with our current sales volume, it would be nearly impossible to extract any sort of meaningful conclusion from that experiment, so I haven't been able to run it :/ It's a shame, because I think about it every time I look at our pricing page, and wait for the time our sales will be reliable enough to extract any sort of result. I've written a few thoughts on pricing here: http://blog.historio.us/on-pricing http://blog.historio.us/on-pricing Basically, we're looking to launch some not-so-pleasant changes to the account system soon :/
- terryjsmith 16y ago
  Yea, this is along the lines of what I'm thinking. Hand me a design and I'll HTML/CSS/JS it up for you, maybe throw in some PHP love. I'd love to team up with a designer and crank out some websites for people!
- codeslush 16y ago
  How about startupweekend.org? If you haven't heard of it, you are missing out big time. If they don't have it in your city, contact them and see about helping to get one there. BTW, I don't have anything to do with them other than having participated in one near me and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
  - StavrosK 16y ago
    That sounds good, thank you. I already have a startup, though, so I just wanted to do something quickly over the weekend. I'll give startup weekend a try, it sounds like a good place to meet people!
donaq 16y ago
Write useful modules and let HN members use them for free? Actually, just open source them and post links?
- terryjsmith 16y ago
  What kind of modules would you be looking for? Open to suggestions :)
  - donaq 16y ago
    I personally don't need anything right now, actually, but thanks anyway. :)

tlrobinson 16y ago

Maybe something like Wil Shipley's "Pimp My Code" series where he gives feedback to Cocoa programmers, but for your area of expertise, of course. http://www.google.com/search?q=pimp+my+code+site%3Awilshipley.com http://www.google.com/search?q=pimp+my+code+site%3Awilshiple...

terryjsmith 16y ago
I've thought about that. The problem is that I'm the first to admit I'm not a fantastic programmer. My strongest trait is just getting stuff done and getting code out the door.
- Ixiaus 16y ago
  That's good personal insight - become a fantastic programmer.
  - terryjsmith 16y ago
    I'm certainly trying. I am a CS dropout and feel like I'm lacking a good bit of theory (algorithms and math specifically). I gobble up what I can find that actually makes theory applicable/interesting.
    - aaronblohowiak 16y ago
      Dsp for engineers is a fun read that makes a certain class of problems interesting, approachable and understood
    - fourk 16y ago
      I too am a CS dropout, and am grateful every single day for having dropped out. I learn more in a week of working at the startup I'm at than I did in a month of college. I'm only 3 months into doing real-world professional development, but I believe that this will still be true a year from today, and I hope that it will still be true 10 years down the line. I too am lacking in some of the theoretical stuff, and have found MIT's open courseware (their intro to algorithms course: http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electrical-engineering-and-computer-science/6-046j-introduction-to-algorithms-sma-5503-fall-2005/video-lectures/ http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electrical-engineering-and-comput... ) to be incredibly useful in supplementing what I missed while in school. I've also heard good things about Khan academy but haven't checked it out yet.
      - Ixiaus 16y ago
        I'm a high school drop out and had a very similar reaction to yours for the first couple of years. Thing is this: industry teaches you process and refinement; not (or rarely) theory. You must obtain some sort of abstract theoretical foundation to be a "fantastic" programmer - whether you do that through self-education or a formal education doesn't matter. I've personally taken the former route - rigorous self directed learning with a dash of discipline and love for the knowledge will turn you into something far greater than what could be elicited from you by "just going through the motions" at a college. Granted. I'll probably be going to college soon anyways because I want to pursue Aerospace - but that's, again, self inspired (rather than "ZOMG I NEED TO GOTO SCHOOL OR MY PARENTS WON'T KEEP PAYING MY RENT" - not saying all people are like that, I know more likely than not most people are self-sufficient; I said that more in line with how parents tend to enforce college on their kids instead of letting them be inspired to the action).
- jacquesm 16y ago
  Not for one thing or another but: > The problem is that I'm the first to admit I'm not a fantastic programmer. Is a trait unfortunately very few programmers actually have, most of them think they're aces (especially when they're not) and: > My strongest trait is just getting stuff done and getting code out the door. Is a very desirable property. I think you're not half as bad as you may think you are. The mentality you display is more or less exactly what I'd be looking for in a new hire.
  - wakeup 16y ago
    Dont think, feel! You aren't basing on anything anyways.
  - TheSOB88 16y ago
    But not what you'd necessarily be looking for in someone who critiques code
- SkyMarshal 16y ago
  Maybe you could offer to help solve bugs that someone has been having a hard time with. Sometimes all it takes is a pair of fresh eyes to spot the problem.
  - stevejalim 16y ago
    I appreciate the sentiment, but isn't that kinda in the StackOverflow space, where you'd get far more eyes on it (tho potentially of far more spread ability)
    - SkyMarshal 16y ago
      I thought SO was for more general questions. Do alot of people ask for help solving specific bugs there?
- DaveChild 16y ago
  Maybe the best thing you can do is build that drive in others. Hell, I've got two web projects that have been meandering along for over a year, both not launch-ready - getting stuff out of the door is, for me (and I imagine many others), the biggest problem. Perhaps you could be some sort of "entrepreneurial personal trainer" :)
- messel 16y ago
  No big ego: check. Ships: check. I don't see a problem.

StavrosK 16y ago

I'm thinking of offering to help someone create a weekend project, if they can design but not program or whatever. I've been looking for a small project to do (no longer than a weekend) to familiarise myself with AppEngine, but I don't know what sort of uptake this would have, in a community of programmers.

jacquesm 16y ago
offtopic: how did your price experiment work out? Mail me, I'm super curious!
- StavrosK 16y ago
  Unfortunately, with our current sales volume, it would be nearly impossible to extract any sort of meaningful conclusion from that experiment, so I haven't been able to run it :/ It's a shame, because I think about it every time I look at our pricing page, and wait for the time our sales will be reliable enough to extract any sort of result. I've written a few thoughts on pricing here: http://blog.historio.us/on-pricing http://blog.historio.us/on-pricing Basically, we're looking to launch some not-so-pleasant changes to the account system soon :/
terryjsmith 16y ago
Yea, this is along the lines of what I'm thinking. Hand me a design and I'll HTML/CSS/JS it up for you, maybe throw in some PHP love. I'd love to team up with a designer and crank out some websites for people!
codeslush 16y ago
How about startupweekend.org? If you haven't heard of it, you are missing out big time. If they don't have it in your city, contact them and see about helping to get one there. BTW, I don't have anything to do with them other than having participated in one near me and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
- StavrosK 16y ago
  That sounds good, thank you. I already have a startup, though, so I just wanted to do something quickly over the weekend. I'll give startup weekend a try, it sounds like a good place to meet people!

donaq 16y ago

Write useful modules and let HN members use them for free? Actually, just open source them and post links?

terryjsmith 16y ago
What kind of modules would you be looking for? Open to suggestions :)
- donaq 16y ago
  I personally don't need anything right now, actually, but thanks anyway. :)