

How does HN get traffic to their github repositories? - justindocanto

The question is simple: How does HN get traffic to their github repositories?<p>I've post a few scripts lately on github and am not sure how to get people to use them!
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apsurd
It takes consistent and dedicated effort. I learned this the hard way of
course =). Also what I've become completely sold on because it worked for me,
is to contribute to _someone else's_ project that has some traction already.

As a developer, I love creating things, I need to create things, so my first
thought is always "let me create this great thing from the ground up". But the
problem there is once its done, no matter how good it is, it still has zero
users.

Finally I decided to make it less about me needing to create and more about
_people_. So I created a bootstrapping framework for Jekyll because my first
time trying to use Jekyll was a train-wreck to say the least. Not because
Jekyll is bad, but because there is no user-focused introduction, no 'hello-
world' application, it's just raw in your face code.

Anyway check it out : <https://github.com/plusjade/jekyll-bootstrap> \- 400
watchers man - I'm so happy about that!

Jekyll has had momentum for some time now. It's repo is watched by just under
5k users. So one small 'jekyll tutorial' link in the documentation wiki was
all I needed to start the ball rolling.

The key word there is _start_. I still needed to reply to everyone's
questions, monitor tweets everyday, write to anybody I knew using Jekyll for
blogging, and above all painstakingly create _great_ , _well-crafted_ , _easy
to understand_ _get started now!_ documentation : <http://jekyllbootstrap.com>

Sorry to make this sound like an ad for JB, I just really have been in the
same place you are and the one and only thing that has worked for me so far is
to embrace Open Source, put everyone else's problems before my own, and code
for _people_ not (only) for myself.

HTH

~~~
justindocanto
Some good tips. Thank you very much. Sounds like just making it as easy to
use, constantly staying on top of things & being involved. Pretty standard
advice, but good use case. Thanks again =)

~~~
apsurd
I think that's the key there, and you said it in much less words than I did
=). You have to give people no excuse to not try your product and every reason
to try it. In other words good, easy to understand hello-world examples are a
must, then backed up by what's next, and next, and next etc.

People don't have time nor the patience to jump through hoops to use your
software. Make it really easy to try and people will try! Then it's up to you
to follow through on taking them through the "funnel" if you will. Best of
luck.

------
dangrossman
Post on your blog, your Twitter feed, your Facebook stream, forums... you need
a social network with which to propagate these things if you want anyone to
know about them.

~~~
justindocanto
So it sounds like you cant really get your scripts found, unless you have
relationships built elsewhere already? Would you say that's the case?

And appreciate the input. Do you have any github code?

