As a member of this group, I have to say it's one of the best communities I've ever been in, for a lot of reasons. 1) Inspiration. From members winning Thiel f

As a member of this group, I have to say it's one of the best communities I've ever been in, for a lot of reasons. 1) Inspiration. From members winning Thiel fellowships to members asking where they can begin, you feel a sense of motivation. The scholarship present in the group is astounding. The OP, Zach Latta, started a nonprofit that helps people start programming clubs. If he can do that, what's stopping me from starting a programming club at my high school? In fact, the group's inspired me to do a lot of things I never would've tried if I hadn't joined- attending a hackathon, founding a programming club, making myself a website, and much more. 2) The network. Members are always posting about hackathons and meetups. Lots of the members know each other, and I probably have mutual friends with most of the members. Along with that, I think the caliber of the members is unrivaled in a group of its size. There are innovators and entrepreneurs, designers and coders (none of those mutually exclusive), and all around amazing teens. Being able to talk with them is incredible. Not only are there amazing teens in its membership, but industry leaders. Some big names include Sam Altman and Alexis Ohanian. Having their profile show up in the group sends tingles down your spine. As high schoolers, sometimes we hear cheesy lines like "you could be sitting next to the next Bill Gates." In this group, not only are you posting next to the next Bill Gates, but the real one too. 3) Quality posts. I suppose after all the fawning I've done so far this goes without saying but the posts are great. As in any group there can be argument and incivility, but the quality of that group in my view is almost as good as that of Hacker News. (That might be because lots of the membership reads Hacker News). The posts can vary in topic from hackathons to new tech, from free namecheap coupons to members' projects, but one thing is consistent: they show how great a community of high schoolers can be. No lord of the flies or Brave New World genius island, no. Its unparalleled, and a wonderful thing to be a part of. If you're a high school student and you're not already in it, join. Disclaimer: I might have cloudy vision on some aspects. The community's not perfect but for one made up of 1800 high schoolers and counting, it's exceptional in every aspect.