Should Tech Forums Create Dedicated Sections for AI Coding Prompts?
A suggestion was recently put forth on Hacker News to create a new, dedicated section titled "prompts." The idea was for each post in this section to feature a self-contained prompt aimed at coding a novel web application or game, along with recommendations for specific AI tools to accomplish the task. However, the proposal was met with skepticism and counter-suggestions from the community.
Concerns About Specificity and Platform Focus
A primary objection was that such a section would be "too specific." One commenter expressed that it would be a "turn-off," drawing a parallel to not having a "Show my NFTs" section, and suggesting that highly niche content might be better suited for alternative platforms like Lemmy. This highlights a common concern in established online communities: a reluctance to create overly specialized sections that might fragment the user base or cater to fleeting trends, thereby diluting the platform's general appeal.
Advocating for Existing Channels
Instead of a new, dedicated space, community members pointed towards existing mechanisms as sufficient for sharing AI-related prompts. The prevailing arguments included:
- Blog Posts and Regular Submissions: It was suggested that individuals could share their AI prompts through blog posts, tweets, or similar external content, submitting these as regular links to Hacker News. The underlying principle is that if the content is "intellectually interesting," it will organically gain traction and visibility within the current system.
- Utilizing "Show HN": Another commenter proposed that the existing "Show HN" section—typically used for users to share projects they've made—could be an appropriate venue. While this leans more towards showcasing the results of AI prompts rather than the prompts themselves, it points to an established channel for AI-assisted creations.
One commenter sarcastically suggested creating an "'amichail asks' section" (referring to the original poster's username), implying the idea was of narrow interest rather than a broad community need.
The Value of Organic Curation
The discussion underscores a preference for organic content curation. The sentiment is that valuable and engaging ideas, including AI prompts, don't necessarily need a dedicated silo. If they are compelling, they will find an audience through the existing, more generalized submission and discussion processes.
In conclusion, while the idea of a dedicated AI prompts section aimed to foster innovation in app and game development, the community feedback suggested that such specificity might be counterproductive. The preferred approach is to integrate such content into existing flows, relying on the community's collective judgment to highlight what is truly novel and interesting.