Do Something Meaningful - Coding for the World

http://williamedwardscoder.tumblr.com/post/18917120117/coding-for-the-world

by willvarfar • 14 years ago

69 24 14 years ago

williamedwardscoder.tumblr.com

bglusman• 14 years ago

Have you checked out Random Hacks of Kindness? (http://rhok.org) I had similar ideas with a project of mine 6 or so months ago and built a version/part of my idea at a startup weekend (https://github.com/bglusman/diffapp) before I knew about RHoK... I'd still like to do more with the idea, and am starting something hoping to help scientific research in the next few days with Mendicant University, but there are real coordination and management/leadership challenges I think... I had some ideas on how to work on them with my app, but I think it's easy to underestimate the problems.

Oh, also relevant is http://codeforamerica.org

marquis• 14 years ago

rhok are fantastic, they have international meet-ups for coding weekends on specific problems. highly recommended if you want to give some time without making a long-term commitment.

squarecat4• 14 years ago

Step 1) Compel owner of givhub.com to do something meaningful with their domain.

Step 2) Humbly request the wizards of Github to port a suitable form of the site suited to this endeavor.

Step 3) Contribute!

squarecat4• 14 years ago

I freely offer givhub.co and/or .net to the cause. (I will maintain their registration or will gladly pass that responsibility over, need be.)

squarecat4• 14 years ago

I've (302) redirected those domains to the blog post for now...

AznHisoka• 14 years ago

What's wrong with just forking a project in Github instead?

squarecat4• 14 years ago

Sorry, I should have clarified the reasoning for my suggestion, that being that there would be some sort of interaction/partnering with non- or semi-technical contacts in these organizations that perhaps it would be helpful if the functionality of Github had a friendlier, more approachable UI for such a use.

Certainly, the developer(s) could simply use Github, so maybe Givhub is just a glossy API wrapper rather than an independent instance?

nathan_f77• 14 years ago

I volunteer at a non-profit called Crossroads, in Hong Kong (http://crossroads.org.hk/). I'm a Ruby on Rails programmer.

Our software department runs a website called 'Global Hand' (http://globalhand.org/en), which is a matching service between businesses who want to donate goods, and charities who need them. We created a similar service for the UN, that matches business resources with needs from UN organisations (http://business.un.org/en).

We really do need more help. Please email [enquiries@globalhand.org] if you have any Ruby on Rails or design skills and would like to donate some of your time.

BrandonMTurner• 14 years ago

I think it is funny that the author suggests programmers should use their hobby time to work on something actually meaningful. I feel like he discounted billing systems and ecommerce in the process.

I have no problem with programmers working on other meaningful things during their spare time if they choose. But what I struggle with is why programmers don't work on meaningful projects during their time they dedicate to their actual employment. I feel like I work on something very meaningful because I have helped literately millions of people lose literally millions of pounds of weight. More over, I think Square (a billing system) has helped thousands (millions?) of merchants gain access to a new form payments for their goods that they didn't have before. And Amazon (an ecommerce store) has brought convenience to millions of consumers seeking fair prices for products they want; not mention a new distribution channel for authors and merchants. Those seem meaningful to me.

cdavoren• 14 years ago

Well, not everyone has the opportunity or desire to be employed by one of the "big guys". The programming equivalent of fixing someone's plumbing is not going to change the world, but it lets you pay the bills, have a family, enjoy your [other] hobbies, etc. Even if it is a choice, it's as much about lifestyle as anything else.

I think this post is aimed at those people.

wtracy• 14 years ago

> The programming equivalent of fixing someone's plumbing is not going to change the world

GP's claim is that it does make a world of difference to some people. It just isn't as immediately visible.

vibrunazo• 14 years ago

It's not hard to find an open-source project that needs help. I don't really see the need for a centralized board for posting help requests. When it's already so easy to find them. Just pick your favorite open source app and help them out.

Unless I'm misunderstanding what the article means with "serious work".

azov• 14 years ago

"It's not hard" is not good enough.

There are many capable coders that don't even know where to start. "Pick your favorite open-source app"? Not everyone has a favorite open-source app. Not all apps worth helping are open-source. With thousands of projects to pick from it's easy to get overwhelmed. "And help them out"? What kind of help do they need? Am I capable of helping them? Will it be interesting for me? Who do I talk to and what should I say? How do I submit my changes? How do I make sure my help is in line with their vision? Tons of questions. Yes, a smart person should be able to figure all this out, but there's a lot of friction involved - especially for something that you do for free in your spare time. There definitely is room for improving the process.

It shouldn't be "not that hard", it should be be dead simple.

willvarfar4• 14 years ago

Indeed I didn't mean open-source in general; I meant programming problems that researchers and charities have.

linhir• 14 years ago

I would look at http://datawithoutborders.cc/ if you want a data science element or http://codeforamerica.org if you want a more development angle.

rokhayakebe2• 14 years ago

I agree with doing something meaningful, but maybe engineers are better off sticking to what they know. You are more likely to make lots of money doing such things, earning lots of money, and pouring that money to solve other problems. Think Bill Gates.

kaybe• 14 years ago

So you make the money, donate it and then they use your money to hire you to solve their problem? Minus tax. Uhm.

rokhayakebe2• 14 years ago

No. You make money selling fish because that is what you are great at. Then you give the money to scientists who are great at finding cures.

mvzink• 14 years ago

I was similarly inspired, but by Steve Yegge's OSCON 2011 speech, and wrote this: http://mvz.so/blog/articles/2011-08-01-lend-a-hand-to-scienc...

I like this proposal, and would probably lend significant time to it.

mike_ando• 14 years ago

Coming at it from the other direction, how would a scientist with an interesting problem attract programmers to work on their project? Something like RHOK specifically for scientists?

willvarfar4• 14 years ago

... givhub?

I'm working on it

quicksilver03• 14 years ago

You don't need to code to help a non-profit or a worthy cause, sometimes even just setting up a WordPress blog and keeping it updated is enough.

I've started doing it for my rugby club and for a shelter for abandoned and tortured cats, and it's much more satisfying than developing the Nth "business rule".

Do Something Meaningful - Coding for the World

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