zlacker

>>bluu00+(OP)
I come from a very small town in Brazil in the middle of nowhere. I was interested in Tech since I was a kid, but had zero influence around me. I was a police officer for many years when I decided to go to university and study computer science. There, by a recommendation of a great professor, I got introduced to Hacker News. First time I saw this website, my mind was blown by the amount of rich information and links pointing me to gold pages on the web I have never heard of. But this was just the shallow surface. Once I discovered the comments section and started reading the threads, I was once again astonished by the rich content and discussions going on. Sometimes, I spend hours just reading brilliant comments here and learning from people way smarter than me. Thanks for this community and the moderators for making this happen :D

>>brunoj+Y12
That's great to read. Very glad you found your way here! HN has connected many people with their 'tribe' over the years, both online and in person with each other. I think that is the best aspect of what PG created with this site. I also think that we could maybe find new ways to encourage more real-world connections. It feels to me like a lot of potential energy could turn kinetic if that happened.

>>dang+wr3
Have you heard of Randomised Coffee Trials?

Here's an example of one (healthcare) community that try them: https://q.health.org.uk/community/rcts/

> How does it work?

> Every member who signs up will be sent the name of another randomly-chosen member on the 1st of every month. Each pair can arrange a brief informal meet-up at a time that suits both parties – be it a phone call, Skype call, Google Hangout or even a coffee in person.

> “RCTs have given me the opportunity to talk to people who work in areas that I don’t usually come across in my day to day work.” Lesley Goodburn, Patient Experience Consultant

> RCTs allow Q members to connect with a new member each month and hear about what other colleagues are working on and share any ideas and inspiration. There are no rules here – RCTs should be viewed as an informal opportunity to connect with peers, however if scheduling means that you can’t meet that month then it’s ok.

> We think you’ll enjoy these fun and fruitful conversations – it’s organised serendipity. Matthew Mezey, Q’s Community Manager has written a blog about the benefits of RCTs.

And here's a link to that blog: https://q.health.org.uk/blog-post/easy-time-light-impact-hea...