Ask HN: Where have the posts with open source projects of enthusiasts gone?
3•FerkiHN•6mo ago
I saw that on HN I rarely see posts that say things like "I created a new game engine written in Rust.", or "I made a port of Doom for Nokia", where did all these posts go, why do I see something completely different now?
Yes, there are interesting projects there, but there are fewer of them, I don't see such enthusiasm as, for example, 2 years ago, then the projects sounded much more exciting, and now I can't feel the emotions that I once did.Maybe it's problem me?
sargstuff•6mo ago
> .... why do I see something completely different now?
Guessing fallout from no studies on how to get AI motivated about/interested in/trained on cool side project(s)? (vs. human factor of using side projects as way to learn/master/showcase talent with side effect(s) of generating a 'cool' project(s)[5]).
Alteratively, AI intended as automated assistant. So, AI has shifted the base knowledge/skill set(s) one needs to do 'cool stuff'. aka no emacs/lisp/unix for dna computer for hacker/hobbiest yet.[0][1][2][3][4]
I don't know, I didn't really notice it, because I wasn't really looking for projects, but rather looking for training on hacker news.
NoboruWataya•6mo ago
I think "in Rust" posts in particular have experienced a bit of a backlash due to what people perceived as an excess of projects where being written in Rust is the main selling point.
As for the rest, I guess open source enthusiast projects have, for the time being at least, been replaced by AI enthusiast projects.
fwsgonzo•6mo ago
FerkiHN•6mo ago
sargstuff•6mo ago
Guessing fallout from no studies on how to get AI motivated about/interested in/trained on cool side project(s)? (vs. human factor of using side projects as way to learn/master/showcase talent with side effect(s) of generating a 'cool' project(s)[5]).
Alteratively, AI intended as automated assistant. So, AI has shifted the base knowledge/skill set(s) one needs to do 'cool stuff'. aka no emacs/lisp/unix for dna computer for hacker/hobbiest yet.[0][1][2][3][4]
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[2] : I told AI to make me a protein. Here's what it came up with : https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-01586-y
[3] : AI Models for Protein Structure Prediction : https://frontlinegenomics.com/ai-models-for-protein-structur...
[4] : AI model deciphers the code in proteins that tells them where to go : AI model deciphers the code in proteins that tells them where to go
[0] : Encoding signal propogation on topology-programmed DNA origami : https://www.nature.com/articles/s41557-024-01565-2
[1] : Instruction-responsive programmable assemblies with DNA origami block pieces : https://academic.oup.com/nar/article/53/1/gkae1193/7928522
[5] : Trickle Down: when doing something silly actually makes sense : https://hackaday.com/2025/07/12/trickle-down-when-doing-some...