

Ask HN: Simple idealistic idea. I want opinions. - xpress

Hi,<p>Every city and town in the U.S. has unannounced and implicit and subtle ways in which individuals can maintain a good existence through hard economic times.<p>An example would be the time and place where food not bombs is active. Another would be how a local free clinic near where I live allows a referral program for children who sign up in which the members parents can get a discounted rate at the local "real" hospital if (for example) their child breaks their ankle or something (even if they never go to the free clinic for anything other than just to sign up for the referral!)<p>So the point is their are subtle and helpful location based nuances that only a handful of people who live in said area may even know about!<p>I'm thinking it would be cool to have a project where you take 1 small city, say Berkeley, and for a year just research and add these kinds of helpful nuances and organize them (maybe in a wiki-manner). Then if it's a success see if you can take what is learned and apply it to other cities/communities.<p>Ok...that's all.
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xpress
Btw.. I set up a wiki awhile ago for the idea in case I decide to run with it.
Helpknow.org

There is nothing there.

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anthonyb
Interesting. Sort of like a coupon site, but for civic services rather than
cheap TVs?

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xpress
It wouldn't be a coupon site. Just a database. I don't know how you could make
money off this.

