Ask HN: Hacker forum or IRC? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Hacker forum or IRC?

26 pointsjebediah27 comments

Is there a forum or irc channel aimed at all hackers? I have never managed to find a good one

Why not just all jump into #hackernews? What does hackers mean again? Who's definition?

If you're actually looking for HN people, why don't we just participate on #hackernews on freenode.

All that really needs to happen is Op presence by some means of figuring out who gets that, some sort of management of the channel, and consistent reminders in comments, like:

Great idea: for X reason! Or, you are so wrong: for X reason. But why don't you pitch this some more on #hackernews on freenode?

Though I think this document exagerates a little, by hacker I meant this: http://www.catb.org/esr/faqs/hacker-howto.html

I just logged onto #hackernews on freenode.

My god, it's full of avatars!

Since my original comment about #hackernews on freenode, the room filled up and got talking and so far it does not suck.

I don't know about others, but I find IRC a little intimidating. So I get in, but I never speak. I just hide out in the corner and sip my beer.

I feel the exactly opposite way, I think IRC is the place where I am the most open

Lurking in IRC is fine, being extroverted is fine. The ability to even remotely understand who HN actually is is weird enough without talking. Otherwise all there is are single line headlines, terse often neckbeardy comments, and no real-time presence -- no "moment" to figure out what even some of these people here really are. So far whether you lurk or talk it's better than just looking at the posts and threads.

So far it has gone from about 13-15 people to over 110 people.

Never found a good one either. I think it's because HN members stay in their respective domain channels - #python #javascript for example.

#startups on freenode is supposedly made up of HN crowd, but I've never found it a friendly place.

freenode in general isn't a very friendly place :/

that said, i think #clojure and #reactjs are fairly friendly and helpful to questions, even the most basic ones.

#django is one of the active channels I've tried. Lot's of people willing to help.

##c is pretty nice in my experience. I've answered a few questions on there and hang out in there fairly often.

Sorry to say that FreeNode IMHO is as friendly as it gets, when talking about IRC networks.

ps. As another use already said, there's no point for us being on an IRC #. I prefer talking/helping/discussing with people who are closer to my domains.

The biggest problem with this question is the breadth of the term 'hacker'. Hackers tend to clump into whatever projects they are currently working on. Try starting off in places like #ubuntu and other projects (that interest you!) that are very newbie friendly. Master a topic and try helping other newbies with that topic. It takes time but my personal experience is the best way to be involved in the 'hacker' culture is to be recognized as someone who brings value and contributions back to the group, regardless of the size of those contributions.

But the whole point is to have a general place with lots of people where all things hacker could be talked about, I spend some time on topic-specific IRC channels but I don't want to talk about python or arch all day, I wanted a channel that was about the community

For s sense of community, perhaps your local hackerspace has a channel that can help. If you don't have a local hackerspace, consider starting one, or at least occasionally participating in something less local.

Hm, if there isn't one already (and i know of none) i guess the only answer is:

Set one up on a network that has a high # of hackers, tinkerers etc.

IMHO, this network could be chat.freenode.net

When you're done, let people know in this thread and i'm sure they'll come...

P.S.: There's a channel named #startups already on freenode which seems to have a few people from HN already...

#startups is a terrible channel

Slack [0] is a piece of beauty for community/team communication. I don't if there is already a HN channel on it.

[0] https://www.slack.com/

I really don't see the big deal with slack. I don't see what it does that any other chat software doesn't?

It has a cool name

look at irc channel of different hackerspace ... as that one : http://hackerspaces.org/wiki/London_Hackspace

This is the best recommendation. Find a hacker space nearby. They also usually have some sort of public mailing list which is like a forum.

Why would you want to chat with hackers? Might as well just go into work and talk to coworkers.

Because I am 16

One of the stronger ideas behind the Internet that seems to be fading is that it could connect people together who would otherwise be strangers.

There is nothing wrong with talking to co-workers, but it can become an insular experience. You're also limited by the specific quirks of the workplace and the demands of maintaining a level of professionalism.

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