3 ms·

Show HN: I made an open-source coding platform

2 points by arthtyagi 6y ago

ColinWright 6y ago
This is going to sound harsh, but I am genuinely trying to help. I replied to you earlier[0] at considerable length when you asked about how to acquire users ... you haven't replied. You continue to post here again and again and again and again, the same thing over and over, with no evidence that you are actually open to receiving advice, suggestions, or feedback. More, HN users are not your target audience anyway! My advice ... and I have no expectation that you will read this, let alone respond, but even so I offer it for free ... is to back off submitting the same thing repeatedly, think hard, and write something concerning your site that specifically targeted at the HN audience. Your site is slick and glossy, it's probably lovely, but I'm not in your target audience either, so I haven't used it, and won't know how usable or useful it is. It might be wonderful, but this is not the place to get users. This is the place to get advice about the site, business, development, strategies, etc. But you need to share things with HN before HN will respond. Simply telling us about the site won't work. We're not your audience. So, how will you respond to that? Your coding ability is not in question, but you need to think much, much more about who you are talking to, and why. Clearly just submitting the site over and over isn't working. I've given you clues as to why not, not you need to apply yourself to solving the problem, and not just doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results. [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24196665 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24196665
- arthtyagi 6y ago
  hey, I'm really sorry you feel that way but look closely, I've actually replied thoroughly to your comment with a few questions. And no, I didn't just comment now, I commented on it before you commented this. And I am really eager to getting user feedback. I even changed the description of the platform on the landing page after I read your whole comment. The previous description as I understand it might have been either misleading or not clarifying the question, a very basic question "What's DomeCode?". I genuinely want to receive some helpful feedback on how to better acquire users, how to plan out to monetize it and even how to get donors/ funding. I'm absolutely willing to take anyone who's along with me on this journey to grow the platform. Since then btw, the userbase has increased to 237 and the retention rate is doing well too. I have added several additions in terms of performance increase and ease of use to the platform.
  - ColinWright 6y ago
    > "look closely, I've actually replied thoroughly to your comment with a few questions. And no, I didn't just comment now, I commented on it before you commented this." You are mistaken. At the time I am writing this comment, the comment to which you are replying here is https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24235418 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24235418 and it was written 4 days ago. Your reply with answers is here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24242182 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24242182 At this point in time you wrote that 3 days ago. So no, I wrote the comment above before you answered those questions. I wrote my comment above 4 days ago. You wrote your reply to my questions 3 days ago. And looking at your other HN submissions, they now appear to be dead-on-arrival. I suspect you've submitted the same thing so many times, they've been flagged often enough that the system now effectively thinks your submissions are spam. You can try emailing the mods to get that reversed, but your posts don't seem to contain anything new. > I am really eager to getting user feedback. That is evident, but you are not changing your tactics in any way. All you are doing is telling us again of the platform's existence, and telling us again that you want to know how to get more users. New features don't carry any weight if the reader isn't already using your site. > I even changed the description of the platform on the landing page ... So now when I go to the landing page there is a bar of options I know nothing about, a HUGE logo that takes up nearly all of my screen, and this: "Get more. With less hassle. Free & Open Source." That tells me nothing. It's called "DomeCode", but looking at the bar across the top, if it's a coding site, why is "Music" the first thing there? If I page down the first words below the fold are: "Learn. Practice. Discuss. Have the musical element. All in one place. And more." Learn what? Music? Coding for music? Practice what? Discuss what? And with whom? And I, for one, don't can about a musical element, especially when I code. Finally, halfway down that second page I get this: "DomeCode is an open source platform to help you advance your coding journey ..." I really don't know what you mean by "advance your coding journey", and at this point I would close the page and move on. I have no magic bullets for getting users, nor how to monetise it. I do expect that most of the people here on HN would have a similar reaction to mine: At first glance: * I don't know what it does; * I don't know what problems it solves; * I don't know why I should be interested. I know you're trying really hard, I'm sure the site is slick and fabulous for those who have a need for it, but you are not communicating what it does, how it does it, or why someone should stay. I'm trying to give you the point of view of a visitor who doesn't already know everything you do. I'm sure your explanations are clear to you, but you are not the person to whom you are trying to convey the message. Looking at the answer you provided in your other comment, one thing you say is: > Maybe I'll try a "What is it?" separate page that allows the user to understand it better? People in general won't click around to find out what the site is for, or what it does, unless they already have a reason to think it might be interesting. Why should they do that? So what does your site actually do? * Competitions to test the experienced; * Tutorials to guide the newcomers; * Forums to discuss the challenges; * Music to program by! Is that right? How long do I need to hunt around before I find that out? And if it's not right then I still don't know what it does. Finally ... who are you trying to attract? Everyone? That won't work. You need to target a niche audience and get them hooked. Then they will (ok, might) draw in others. But you need to be clear about the problem the user has that you are solving, and the benefits of solving it with your site instead of somewhere else. Again, all that sounds harsh, but I could have just walked away. I'm trying to help. Again, your coding skills are not in doubt, and the site might be great. If you're retaining 237 users, excellent! Get them to tell others, or get them to tell you what they like.
- arthtyagi 6y ago
  Also, just posted this https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24272065 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24272065.
  - ColinWright 6y ago
    The reply there from troydavis is a good one: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24272714 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24272714 I know you're keen, I know you're enthusiastic, I know you're desperate to make this work. But what you're doing here ... submitting endlessly ... isn't working. Read what people have said, take stock, and reshape your approach. EDIT: Also to let you know ... that submission had been DOA, and someone has vouched for it, so people really are cutting you a lot of slack.

2 points by arthtyagi 6y ago

This is going to sound harsh, but I am genuinely trying to help. I replied to you earlier[0] at considerable length when you asked about how to acquire users ... you haven't replied. You continue to post here again and again and again and again, the same thing over and over, with no evidence that you are actually open to receiving advice, suggestions, or feedback. More, HN users are not your target audience anyway! My advice ... and I have no expectation that you will read this, let alone respond, but even so I offer it for free ... is to back off submitting the same thing repeatedly, think hard, and write something concerning your site that specifically targeted at the HN audience. Your site is slick and glossy, it's probably lovely, but I'm not in your target audience either, so I haven't used it, and won't know how usable or useful it is. It might be wonderful, but this is not the place to get users. This is the place to get advice about the site, business, development, strategies, etc. But you need to share things with HN before HN will respond. Simply telling us about the site won't work. We're not your audience. So, how will you respond to that? Your coding ability is not in question, but you need to think much, much more about who you are talking to, and why. Clearly just submitting the site over and over isn't working. I've given you clues as to why not, not you need to apply yourself to solving the problem, and not just doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results. [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24196665 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24196665

arthtyagi 6y ago
hey, I'm really sorry you feel that way but look closely, I've actually replied thoroughly to your comment with a few questions. And no, I didn't just comment now, I commented on it before you commented this. And I am really eager to getting user feedback. I even changed the description of the platform on the landing page after I read your whole comment. The previous description as I understand it might have been either misleading or not clarifying the question, a very basic question "What's DomeCode?". I genuinely want to receive some helpful feedback on how to better acquire users, how to plan out to monetize it and even how to get donors/ funding. I'm absolutely willing to take anyone who's along with me on this journey to grow the platform. Since then btw, the userbase has increased to 237 and the retention rate is doing well too. I have added several additions in terms of performance increase and ease of use to the platform.
- ColinWright 6y ago
  > "look closely, I've actually replied thoroughly to your comment with a few questions. And no, I didn't just comment now, I commented on it before you commented this." You are mistaken. At the time I am writing this comment, the comment to which you are replying here is https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24235418 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24235418 and it was written 4 days ago. Your reply with answers is here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24242182 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24242182 At this point in time you wrote that 3 days ago. So no, I wrote the comment above before you answered those questions. I wrote my comment above 4 days ago. You wrote your reply to my questions 3 days ago. And looking at your other HN submissions, they now appear to be dead-on-arrival. I suspect you've submitted the same thing so many times, they've been flagged often enough that the system now effectively thinks your submissions are spam. You can try emailing the mods to get that reversed, but your posts don't seem to contain anything new. > I am really eager to getting user feedback. That is evident, but you are not changing your tactics in any way. All you are doing is telling us again of the platform's existence, and telling us again that you want to know how to get more users. New features don't carry any weight if the reader isn't already using your site. > I even changed the description of the platform on the landing page ... So now when I go to the landing page there is a bar of options I know nothing about, a HUGE logo that takes up nearly all of my screen, and this: "Get more. With less hassle. Free & Open Source." That tells me nothing. It's called "DomeCode", but looking at the bar across the top, if it's a coding site, why is "Music" the first thing there? If I page down the first words below the fold are: "Learn. Practice. Discuss. Have the musical element. All in one place. And more." Learn what? Music? Coding for music? Practice what? Discuss what? And with whom? And I, for one, don't can about a musical element, especially when I code. Finally, halfway down that second page I get this: "DomeCode is an open source platform to help you advance your coding journey ..." I really don't know what you mean by "advance your coding journey", and at this point I would close the page and move on. I have no magic bullets for getting users, nor how to monetise it. I do expect that most of the people here on HN would have a similar reaction to mine: At first glance: * I don't know what it does; * I don't know what problems it solves; * I don't know why I should be interested. I know you're trying really hard, I'm sure the site is slick and fabulous for those who have a need for it, but you are not communicating what it does, how it does it, or why someone should stay. I'm trying to give you the point of view of a visitor who doesn't already know everything you do. I'm sure your explanations are clear to you, but you are not the person to whom you are trying to convey the message. Looking at the answer you provided in your other comment, one thing you say is: > Maybe I'll try a "What is it?" separate page that allows the user to understand it better? People in general won't click around to find out what the site is for, or what it does, unless they already have a reason to think it might be interesting. Why should they do that? So what does your site actually do? * Competitions to test the experienced; * Tutorials to guide the newcomers; * Forums to discuss the challenges; * Music to program by! Is that right? How long do I need to hunt around before I find that out? And if it's not right then I still don't know what it does. Finally ... who are you trying to attract? Everyone? That won't work. You need to target a niche audience and get them hooked. Then they will (ok, might) draw in others. But you need to be clear about the problem the user has that you are solving, and the benefits of solving it with your site instead of somewhere else. Again, all that sounds harsh, but I could have just walked away. I'm trying to help. Again, your coding skills are not in doubt, and the site might be great. If you're retaining 237 users, excellent! Get them to tell others, or get them to tell you what they like.
arthtyagi 6y ago
Also, just posted this https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24272065 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24272065.
- ColinWright 6y ago
  The reply there from troydavis is a good one: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24272714 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24272714 I know you're keen, I know you're enthusiastic, I know you're desperate to make this work. But what you're doing here ... submitting endlessly ... isn't working. Read what people have said, take stock, and reshape your approach. EDIT: Also to let you know ... that submission had been DOA, and someone has vouched for it, so people really are cutting you a lot of slack.