Stocksnap.io

by Sarah Stephanie

Sometimes we encounter cool new apps but we aren’t conscious of all the work behind it. Maybe its first version really sucked. Maybe it was a funded project, and let’s remember it is not that easy for someone to trust you and invest in your project. Or perhaps this was an Open Source project, which evolved with the help of contributors. Maybe it took thousands of changes after the release until it worked better and become more popular enough for you to encounter it in a post of the top new apps. I feel silly even writing the word ‘new’, because maybe (and most probably), it took months or years to develop. How cool would it be to be part of the next big thing, right? I liked that idea, especially the challenge of finding such an app before the world knew about it. The more I thought about it, the more I liked this idea, yet had no clue where to start. Would you know how to search for such a thing?

What was stopping me, and how did I finally start?

An idea is worthless if no action is taken upon it. If you have the idea or intention of doing something, it has no value until you do something about it. I had the intention of contributing for the first time to an Open Source Project since three months ago. The intentions never left my thoughts for too long yet I did not make or take any action because two of my not-so-dear friends were always there, procrastination and sloth. And, if truth be told I can say a third was present, I was scared of contacting anyone... after all, I am no one to them, I am not a programmer, and I was fearful of looking like a fool or being a failure in helping in any way.

So there I was, looking for a project. I have got to be honest, it was difficult. After lots of Google searches for terms as ‘how to contribute to an open source project’ I found CodeTriage, a web page that offers a list of open source projects that are looking for contributors. Ok great, just what I needed. When you enter the page, there is a dropdown menu to filter the projects by programming language.

Plot twist: I am not a programmer, now what am I to do?

I began to randomly select programming languages on the dropdown menu and read about different Open Source projects. There was a particular project that had my attention since the beginning, but it seemed more appealing to ‘keep looking’ than to actually email the owner. I wasted three months ‘looking’ for a project, this is the only sad part of my story. I write of this experience because there really is no good in wasting time like I did, and I invite you to begin your own path by sharing my story.

I know now it was the name of the project that kept drawing my attention, calling me to take another look at what this project was offering. When I finally decided to take action, I emailed the project owner, offering my help. To my amazement he answered very kindly and really fast (taking into account that he lives just across the earth). That made me feel even sillier for taking so long on doing this (duh!). This just-do-it thing is no joke. Want to start a project? Just do it. Want to be part of one by contributing? You now know my answer on this.

Help yourself by helping others

I am now collaborating on a Nepal based project named VisitMeet, which is currently being sponsored by a non-profit organization based in the US. The VisitMeet crew aims to create an application, where you can posts offers on local foods, lodgings, and conveyances for those seeking the least expensive way to travel, and make their travel more meaningful. The local people can post their offers and will get 80% of the revenue. In the first stage the remaining 20% will pay the required bills and engineers, later on the remaining money will be donated to various social causes.

This idea came to Bishisht Bhatta, who back in 2014 was living in Mulkharka Village, in Shivpuri Nagarjun National Reserve, Nepal. There, he got the chance to chat with a tourist and his guide and discovered that the travel agency who connected both was paying a very low wage to the guide. This idea came to life when he decided to do something about it. He began to create a platform to directly connect tourists with local people offering their various services as guides, lodges, shops and other categories being asked for by the local folks in several countries now. Their first travellers will be able to affect how the program works, as they will be contributing their descriptions of their needs and wants and their programmers will code it in.

Say hi to Bishisht. This is the Mulkharka Village in Shivpuri Nagarjun National Reserve, Nepal.

You have perhaps heard the saying, Where the rubber meets the road, well this is it, up close and real where something new and more ideal is being created.

You could start right this moment

Yes really, you can.

Are you interested in doing something of value today, but like me, you don’t know where to start? Let me invite you to do as I have done, help the VisitMeet Team create something useful to everyone. In so doing, I promise you that you will find you have helped yourself in ways you cannot today imagine, all the while you are helping others.

Please don’t stop yourself with excuses, small or big, any contribution is great. I am not even a developer and here I am, learning and contributing. You can be too. Yes, the VisitMeet Team is looking for programmer ‘NewBees’ to seasoned professionals to help build the site, but they also need folks who know nothing of programming or such, so that you can help them test out every aspect of the site as it is being built. Just by using the site, and giving them feedback you will be helping more than you know. And by helping, you will be among the first to be able to use the full range of the site’s offerings.

Feeling brave? I offer a list of ways you can contribute:

1. Become a user of the app, now, while it still doesn’t fully work, so you can watch a site develop.

2. Become a guide, or a traveller user .. help the programmers build the details with your help.

3. Become a Creator/Producer/Artist, you name it, and offer your talents, services, products, and more.

4. Become a Shopper, for the purposes of giving feedback to the VisitMeet Team while they develop the interactions between the creators/producers/artists, etc. and those interested in purchasing their wares, their services, etc.

5. From the VisitMeet TEAM: ‘Engineers, Programmers, Webmasters, please give our list of Issues and Projects a look, and know we would Love your help. Find any project that is UP FOR GRABS and claim it, or suggest your own.’

6. Tell your friends to give us a look, and yes, do let them know VisitMeet is in the early stages, and not all is in place yet.

7. Share this post!

Make a next step for yourself now, take a look at VisitMeet

By liking VisitMeet’s Facebook you can get updates of the process and how you can help along the way