Not sure why you're coming up as showdead.. saw your x, definitely not a bot if that's the issue. Maybe the site looks too vibecoded?
Am thinking of experimenting with images.
I like the idea of getting a custom "Piece in process" image... sort like https://i.imgur.com/removed.png but with an appropriate Pieces message that changes as backing takes place with the image becoming the actual image upon successful unlock.
But, hosting the images is the major issue here. Perhaps create a Wordpress plugin that integrates with Pieces? Provide an API?
But even if it can't convert to the actual image, it's still a good idea for marketing. It could say something like. "Image unlocked, see ____.com [custom domain] or trypieces.com/____ for the full reveal" or just "released through TryPieces"
I have no idea why I'm coming up as showdead. Thanks for letting me know. I just sent an email to HN.
On the embed image idea: I understand. If there's demand for that I'd most definitely implement that. For now, landing on the Piece page has all the available information for the current funding status of the Piece and whatnot.
Perhaps there is a time-limit for the picture to be released, ie it may not have been created. I am thinking of an artist who may need to paint something or an investigative journalist who needs to report on something.
- comparing my ideas to Pieces, I am not sure if/how there is a match, but the requirements look similar. Good luck!
add: I've always like the idea of releasing music, with the artist able to receive tips for it at any point in time. They release it for free, with knowledge that it will be shared in many ways, including P2P networks where the bulk of distribution occurs. Videos as well. To make it work, they supply very accurate metadata in files, with an address for tips to flow - just thought this would be interesting to you. My idea for that was called GrooveTip.
So perhaps Pieces could allow for the initial funding of music/video to be released. Metadata could lead back to the Pieces page for further tips in the future. In other words, information can have unrealized gains event after it's been released but payments should be voluntary. Perhaps tippers can leave a comment in return and the largest tips get floated to the top with the associated comment. YT already colorizes its tips in live chat windows.
Thanks for the thoughtful comparison and the links!
You actually inspired me to make a quick change. Based on your note about photos and media, I just ungated the platform. I previously had a text Pieces only flag active, but I've turned it off. You can now attach images, video, audio, and docs to a Piece; not just text.
As for your other points:
Time-limits for release: This is a super interesting idea. If people find it useful, I think it could fit into Pieces.
Tipping vs. Funding: The investigative journalist or artist scenario is exactly the shape that Pieces is built for ("fund the unlock"). While voluntary post-release tips are great, they don't fully solve the free-rider problem that Pieces aims to address via dominant assurance contracts. Platforms like BuyMeACoffee handle tips well, but Pieces is laser-focused on the pre-release funding stage.
Good luck with your projects as well! What are you currently working on?
Thanks - I am working on a couple of DIY home-oriented projects (not computer related.)
But I am also interested in getting something up on tinkeriDOTng too - something about tinkering - maybe a Github for inventions.
Checkout https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47967800 (DripStack) it is actually designed primarily for agents querying human writers - although on the front-end, humans can definitely query too. That concerns pre-release funding for financial writers.. wait how are humans writing these days? Who's to know how much slop it will return?
Regarding pre-release funding, I was thinking artist/creators might want to setup a mini-portfolio of content on the site, but then use the site as a "pipeline of ideas" with each seeking funding.
One use-case for Pieces are DJ playlists. I've seen DJs on Soundcloud wait until a mix gets a certain number of likes or reposts before they post the tracklist. You could contact DJs directly and tell them about the site.
A "GitHub for inventions" sounds like a project worth building. I wonder if you could pre-fill the site in with public patents and show the diffs of each patent; that would be interesting to me. Good luck with that and the DIY projects!
You hit the nail on the head regarding the "AI slop" worry. I think the majority of it will be AI agents in the future and/or heavily assisted with AI. To filter out that noise, Pieces tracks a creator's lifetime volume and uses a weighted rating system where only actual participants in a Piece can affect the rating. That should help a little, but still needs to be proven in practice.
The "pipeline of ideas" concept is interesting. I'll definitely reach out to some DJs and see if this would interest them.
It's really about getting another person involved in a Piece, rather than waving something semi-cloaked in front of people.
I suppose being pre-release and post-built is the sweet spot you'd be looking for - even if it's been built by someone else.
So you'd add a field - "third-party recipient" and they'd be notified of the piece once it goes live. They could also claim that piece if they wanted to actually cooperate.
An AskMeAnything setup by fans would seem like the most obvious use-case but really anything goes. So the Claimant (or creator?) would post a link to the forum for the AMA and the Piece concludes at that.
There was some discussion I was in a number of months ago about bounties. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44654489 - it was said "wish there were more solid options. It's an interesting space and there's a lot of opportunity for people who can get it right"
No problem. The whole creators/bonders/backers thing is interesting. It feels like it adds a layer of extra cost to the content. So a content creator is paying a kickback to the bonders - it's like paying a commission.
Why should the creator pay a bonder anything, what have they done? Are they doing favors for the creator or the backers? Would it be in a backer's interest to also become a bonder? Why does there need to be an extra bonder entity? Maybe the creator should just pay a listing fee that is reimbursed if fully funded, otherwise it is distributed to backers in a funding-fail?
Bonding is also like a prediction bet - "I bet this piece gets fully funded / I bet it doesn't." That's all they're doing, right, or would bonders be like a record company who would fund and endorse some type of content, so it's like a stamp of approval or provide expectation/goodwill to a piece pre-release?
Why not just have a standard group-funding model, and then run prediction betting alongside it separately?
Anyway, I was thinking - what would be the most valuable piece of information to back, while also being the most minimal? A password? What's behind the password? How about a new album to download from a webpage with HTTP Basic Authentication?
How about backers who want some information to NOT be released before a deadline? That could be pretty funny, or would it be like blackmail?
It's like Pieces is where you go once you've got the NOC list.
Another idea would be to have a chatroom (eg Kraa) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47872083 - and preload a bunch of people into it, and have each one notified when someone posts into it (that feature does not exist.) The 'leaf' could be called "Panic."
The issue is verification - a password seems the most obvious. Something you can remember once your phone is gone.
The other issue from reading comments below - you need to be able to walk up to someone and tell them, "I've lost my phone, do you think I can use your phone briefly." Alternatively, you could walk into a box-store (or library) and use one of their PCs.
Also, a way to get transport quickly would be important - perhaps that is the first thing you do when on another computer.
Why not have an EU-blockchain where transactions and staking are taxed and fund EU-defense and EU-whatever - including software development (eg browsers.)
USA could have Pax-Americana chain - and governments could offer tax discounts to those that use it. Maybe just a "Pax chain" but with different, officially-sanctioned tokens and even sub-tokens based on geographies or alliances?
Airplane meetups would be interesting, where airlines somehow consider the people that sit next to each other. There could be an opt-in for that. Would flyers see a passenger list a few days prior to leaving? What security issues are involved? What are the fees involved? Should air travel be used for this purpose? Won't the cabin end up too noisy?
Another interesting meetup idea: Procrastination Parties.
"back-door free" - crucial stuff unless you like having big brother (and his friends) stand behind you each time you look at a screen. Parasitic behavior is (and will be) the new sustainable advantage. Also finding new ways to escape and deflect (or hide from) prosecution. That's why some people have the "love of power" and not the "power of love" - they depend on those that do. They'll vacuum up all your communications and use the best AI on it to one-up you. Tracking and predicting spending patterns is (and will be) more important too. Supermarkets always consolidate their own brands into the most popular external ones. They own the shelf-space and sales process. Why just supermarkets? Why not "AI" companies? Do you like having your finances gang-raped? Make sure you're "back-door free" - it's fascism-free too hopefully.
Speed meetups could work where you'd go to a series of meetups in a row. Venues could allocate space for this, say 5 separate rooms and every few months you'd go to a bunch of meetups all on the same day. Small gatherings with a larger space where people could keep talking once the set period is over if need be.
Even a local park on a sunny day would work and you could "kick on" into the night if things were going well - no obligations or pressure.
How about a way to signup without Google or LinkedIn? Maybe HN-linked profiles?
Also, I think a domain-name section is a good idea. Some ideas/projects may have them and some won't. Some people may have unused ones to offer. Others may see a domain name and get ideas just from seeing it.
I don't even mind redirecting to the site if it helps - that would prove that I actually owned it.
Another idea would be to have pledging.. people send crypto to an address and if a certain amount is reached, it is released to the owner. Well, maybe that is too complex/risky.. and too similar to crowdfunding, so just have people enter an amount, but don't make it binding. That would be good for people who want to jam, but have little to offer except for $.
I think a lot of altcoin owners would contribute to an ecosystem if they thought it'd help their position. So put a large disclaimer that any funds sent are ultimately entirely at the sender's risk - they may get/see nothing in return. Reputation-building and transparency is important here - but a crypto address could be monitored. One problem is people sending funds to themselves.
"Jam pledges and donations" could begin well but end up enshi##ified with scams eventually - even by users who build themselves up to be legit... until their very last project when they bail early with funds. At least with crypto, funds can be returned efficiently. That's important too.
Speaking of tinkering, you could have a builds/devices/setups section, with each containing multiple constituent parts (as ingredients) with their being a corresponding recipe for each. So users would be "cataloging their builds."
This is what is lacking here: https://clz.com/ but I think https://hackaday.io already does what I am talking about - a "Github for inventions."
You are welcome to use my domain for that too, but will people go to all the effort to upload their builds? What is the return? Are there IP or safety issues?
Perhaps you could focus on computers, and make it a help/troubleshooting destination, and way for people to be able to recycle things or look to that goal.
Solar and DIY energy builds is another large area. Could also focus on selling or affiliate commissions.
Maybe have a way for the site to load up with data using text files that people can either upload or keep on their own server. So there should be some type of syntax. Laboriously filling out fields is a time-sink in my view. Even signing-up can be seen as a pain. So local-first data entry with a little syncing app that gets the site to come and collect locally whenever its pinged is the goal.
Maybe a way for users to also download the entire site for off-line browsing? Is there a need for that? Keeping the entire site off-line would be interesting in the age of AI vacuum cleaners. "Group Sync" for all the text-content.
It'd be interesting if your work was taken up quickly by child prodigies. Maybe have a guest book?
Is there anything you'd still like to put up, but wanted to crowdfund in order to get you motivated and accept ideas?
Do you plan to teach professionally? Maybe you could accept tips?
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