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Wait. You're in Texas and are trying to get people to use an app that encourages them to meet in person, often in groups? During a pandemic where people are dyi

Wait. You're in Texas and are trying to get people to use an app that encourages them to meet in person, often in groups? During a pandemic where people are dying? I always want to be supportive of anyone building anything, but seriously... stop. Put it on ice for 6-12 months. This app sucks. Technology should be used to help people. Spend your time doing something good during the pandemic, not getting them killed.

RL_Quine 6y ago
Their responses in this thread make them out to be pretty uncaring. It’s not illegal to go out, I’m not suggesting people do by giving them a means to facilitate it, I’m not responsible! At some point you just have to admit you don’t care about the well-being of anybody.
- ryansam 6y ago
  I do care a lot actually as this pandemic's risk is personal to me. But because of where I live the people are not responding they way they are in different states. It's not like the pandemic happened and all the sudden I had this idea. I had this idea before the pandemic, started working on it before the pandemic. Then the pandemic happened. As I have mentioned I don't want people using this app unless they already are going out regularly with their friends.
  - gkoberger 6y ago
    Ryan, you've fallen into a trap a lot of younger engineers do... a complete lack of empathy. Code is rigid and logical, but the reasons we write code never are. Ignoring COVID, you don't seem to be able to see this from anyone's perceptive but your own. Your app offers nothing to the user they can't get in a thousand other places, better. The quality is very low compared to what people expect, the usecase is one nobody has ever asked for, yet you still have this vibe of believing people owe you an audience. Rather than making something good that people want, you're looking for growth hacks. People are telling you directly and indirectly that this was a swing and a miss. Add on COVID, and your responses just kinda make you seem like you don't care. Don't say "the risk is personal," as though that's a magic wand that exculpates you... it just makes it worse. Find something to work on that won't endanger people, and stop justifying building a meetup app during a pandemic. I get it, things changed since you started in November and that sucks... but they did change. Now you have to. Ryan, if you pivot into something that helps people rather than hurts, I'd be more than happy to help you get your first users. My email's in my profile.
  - anonred 6y ago
    It sounds like folks are interpreting your app as promoting behavior that’s irresponsible at best and potentially dangerous to vulnerable demographics at worst. I don’t think that’s an uncharitable perspective given the zeitgeist and would advise pausing for some serious introspection here.
  - withinboredom 6y ago
    I know exactly how you feel since I'm in a similar boat. I'd suggest targeting other English speaking app stores (It's not in my country's app store though my language is English). Other countries are dealing with this very differently, for example, we can gather here but you can only have so many guests in your house at a time. I would ignore the US app store, just because of the polarization and politicization of the virus.
liquidise 6y ago
I'm not sure i've ever read an HN comment i find as distasteful as this. The OP is building an app to help people meet, yet by their own admission have managed to attract one user. They asked a question about a common issue engineers face: onboarding and marketing. Your comment ignores nearly every shred of this substance. Instead you accuse them of "getting [users] killed"? Patently absurd. To cut them down at the knees in this way is counter productive at best. In the greater context of American society, Urban Isolationism is a real problem. You can argue that it is a less urgent issue during covid, but the dangers remain all the same. I applaud the OP for trying to chip away at this problem. Crazy to think your comment is the HN-upvoted response to their efforts. What a place this has become.
- gkoberger 6y ago
  Hey Ben! Thanks for the feedback. If it wasn't in the middle of a pandemic where people are dying, you'd be right – negativity on HN toward makers sucks, and is way too prevalent. You can check my comment history, I spend a LOT of time helping people who are building things. I love makers, and like yourself, I'm a founder. I'm pretty sure this is the first time on HN/Twitter/etc I've been negative about someone putting something out into the world. But it is a pandemic, and this app is trying to get people to do something that will endanger themselves and others. I'd even be supportive if he was just building it for when COVID slows down, but this whole post is about getting people to USE it. Right now. People are dying... even if not directly due to the author. If they built something that helped people connect virtually, I wouldn't have said something "distasteful". But context is relevant here. Ethics are as important to technology as code is. (And on a personal note, I know you've heard this before... we were at RIT at the same time, and you had to take the same ethics classes I did to graduate.)
  - ethanwillis 6y ago
    I think that it would be more helpful instead of shaming Ryan into not building a meetup app at all to instead offer the suggestion I'm about to. Why not spin the meetup app to be a way to connect people virtually to reduce isolation? I know everything is bigger in Texas, but there is a huge target audience (maybe even bigger:)) outside of Texas. Just look at netflix party as an example.
seebetter 6y ago
Not only that, he's encouraging people to travel by automobile and to drink alcohol. These are two driving forces of the people are dying phenomenon. I'm all for safe interaction, wearing a mask, social distancing and limiting social engagements but I'm more concerned with subtle and aggressive forms of authoritarian thought becoming mainstream.
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
gitgud 6y ago
> "I always want to be supportive of anyone building anything, but seriously... stop. Put it on ice for 6-12 months. This app sucks." Although true, this is unnecessarily harsh. An app to meet up with friends, doesn't imply that it will be ignoring social distancing and mask recommendations... Or kill people Imagine someone telling you; "seriously stop... This app sucks", personally I think this attitude is pretty damaging to the community and will make others less likely to ask questions about their projects...

RL_Quine 6y ago

Their responses in this thread make them out to be pretty uncaring. It’s not illegal to go out, I’m not suggesting people do by giving them a means to facilitate it, I’m not responsible! At some point you just have to admit you don’t care about the well-being of anybody.

ryansam 6y ago
I do care a lot actually as this pandemic's risk is personal to me. But because of where I live the people are not responding they way they are in different states. It's not like the pandemic happened and all the sudden I had this idea. I had this idea before the pandemic, started working on it before the pandemic. Then the pandemic happened. As I have mentioned I don't want people using this app unless they already are going out regularly with their friends.
- gkoberger 6y ago
  Ryan, you've fallen into a trap a lot of younger engineers do... a complete lack of empathy. Code is rigid and logical, but the reasons we write code never are. Ignoring COVID, you don't seem to be able to see this from anyone's perceptive but your own. Your app offers nothing to the user they can't get in a thousand other places, better. The quality is very low compared to what people expect, the usecase is one nobody has ever asked for, yet you still have this vibe of believing people owe you an audience. Rather than making something good that people want, you're looking for growth hacks. People are telling you directly and indirectly that this was a swing and a miss. Add on COVID, and your responses just kinda make you seem like you don't care. Don't say "the risk is personal," as though that's a magic wand that exculpates you... it just makes it worse. Find something to work on that won't endanger people, and stop justifying building a meetup app during a pandemic. I get it, things changed since you started in November and that sucks... but they did change. Now you have to. Ryan, if you pivot into something that helps people rather than hurts, I'd be more than happy to help you get your first users. My email's in my profile.
- anonred 6y ago
  It sounds like folks are interpreting your app as promoting behavior that’s irresponsible at best and potentially dangerous to vulnerable demographics at worst. I don’t think that’s an uncharitable perspective given the zeitgeist and would advise pausing for some serious introspection here.
- withinboredom 6y ago
  I know exactly how you feel since I'm in a similar boat. I'd suggest targeting other English speaking app stores (It's not in my country's app store though my language is English). Other countries are dealing with this very differently, for example, we can gather here but you can only have so many guests in your house at a time. I would ignore the US app store, just because of the polarization and politicization of the virus.

liquidise 6y ago

I'm not sure i've ever read an HN comment i find as distasteful as this. The OP is building an app to help people meet, yet by their own admission have managed to attract one user. They asked a question about a common issue engineers face: onboarding and marketing. Your comment ignores nearly every shred of this substance. Instead you accuse them of "getting [users] killed"? Patently absurd. To cut them down at the knees in this way is counter productive at best. In the greater context of American society, Urban Isolationism is a real problem. You can argue that it is a less urgent issue during covid, but the dangers remain all the same. I applaud the OP for trying to chip away at this problem. Crazy to think your comment is the HN-upvoted response to their efforts. What a place this has become.

gkoberger 6y ago
Hey Ben! Thanks for the feedback. If it wasn't in the middle of a pandemic where people are dying, you'd be right – negativity on HN toward makers sucks, and is way too prevalent. You can check my comment history, I spend a LOT of time helping people who are building things. I love makers, and like yourself, I'm a founder. I'm pretty sure this is the first time on HN/Twitter/etc I've been negative about someone putting something out into the world. But it is a pandemic, and this app is trying to get people to do something that will endanger themselves and others. I'd even be supportive if he was just building it for when COVID slows down, but this whole post is about getting people to USE it. Right now. People are dying... even if not directly due to the author. If they built something that helped people connect virtually, I wouldn't have said something "distasteful". But context is relevant here. Ethics are as important to technology as code is. (And on a personal note, I know you've heard this before... we were at RIT at the same time, and you had to take the same ethics classes I did to graduate.)
- ethanwillis 6y ago
  I think that it would be more helpful instead of shaming Ryan into not building a meetup app at all to instead offer the suggestion I'm about to. Why not spin the meetup app to be a way to connect people virtually to reduce isolation? I know everything is bigger in Texas, but there is a huge target audience (maybe even bigger:)) outside of Texas. Just look at netflix party as an example.

seebetter 6y ago

Not only that, he's encouraging people to travel by automobile and to drink alcohol. These are two driving forces of the people are dying phenomenon. I'm all for safe interaction, wearing a mask, social distancing and limiting social engagements but I'm more concerned with subtle and aggressive forms of authoritarian thought becoming mainstream.

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

gitgud 6y ago

> "I always want to be supportive of anyone building anything, but seriously... stop. Put it on ice for 6-12 months. This app sucks." Although true, this is unnecessarily harsh. An app to meet up with friends, doesn't imply that it will be ignoring social distancing and mask recommendations... Or kill people Imagine someone telling you; "seriously stop... This app sucks", personally I think this attitude is pretty damaging to the community and will make others less likely to ask questions about their projects...