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Ask HN: Is visiting sites like this worth it? Does it provide a high ROI?
I've noticed I've been spending a lot of time on HN relative to other websites. That time could have been spent on a lot of other things as well.
Did you learn enough from HN that made it worth all the time you spent on it? Did it have (in business lingo) a High Return on Investment for you?
- iSloth 14y agoReally depends on your area/profession and how that relates to the content on HN. My day job is a network admin so reading around here doesn't really help that much. However I have a few side projects where the 'Show HN' feedback can be invaluable... At the end of the day it's more interesting than reading a newspaper for me, even if there is no value. People with startups I am sure would/do get a very high ROI ;)
- smartwater 14y agoI've been lurking HN for a while now. In moderation, it has helped in many ways, although in ways not particularly measurable.
- jaxn 14y agoOff topic, but are you the founder of SmartWater?
- chc 14y agoIt depends on what you read. If I had not been here to read all of patio11's exhortations on A/B testing and sales, I'd be worse for that. I would have had commercial sites running with a major exploit if I hadn't seen tptacek warning about it. Not having that headache was very nice. But any time spent on threads about TechCrunch, TorrentFreak, The Next Web and other such high-drama zones is probably pure waste. If you're spending a lot of time on here, unless you just find it inordinately entertaining, you're probably getting a low ROI — because 90% of everything is crap. If you very selectively click on stories and just read the recent comments and submissions by patio11, edw519 and whoever else you find to be insightful, you're probably getting a good ROI.
- jaxn 14y agoFor me, HackerNews is Edu-tainment. I learn some stuff, but I wouldn't classify it as productive time. However, I have read some things here that have had a great impact on my life and/or business.
- underdesign 14y agoAs a developer, I'm fed all the hot new released Open Source apps that might integrate well with my other businesses, while they're in Beta. The crowd here is smarter, work harder, has better focus and willing to offer experienced opinions. Some of these folk are an inspiration to myself and my own goals in life. Some sites similar to this are true time-wasters (Digg, Reddit, 4chan) with no obvious benefits to furthering your intelligence, strictly dumb giggles and cute pictures. This site is also designed with no graphics for fast load, and a focus on the important content: words! Every minute spent on HN is better spent than probably 99% of the other sites you visit.