Random Hacks of Kindness

Hack - no, it's not something your cat does to get rid of excess fur in his throat. From The Jargon File 4.3.3, a hack is "an incredibly good, and perhaps very time consuming, piece of work that produces exactly what is needed." Despite the unpleasant phonetic sound, a hack is a very positive body of work.

If you have ever authored online content, given support to another person in the form of a piece of code, advice or the like, simply because they needed it, you are guilty of committing a random hack of kindness. It goes on thousands of times each day. But did you know, when you make the decision to be a kinder person, you are effectively bringing about positive social change! And by doing so, you not only improve the well being and health of yourself and make the person you helped feel all warm and fuzzy inside, but your kindness has a ripple effect. It has the magical ability to inspire even those who are privy to the act (uh...hack). OK, so it doesn't make you Daredevil but it is powerful!

We would like to recognize a few outstanding individuals that do good work, provide a fix to that annoying bug, raise awareness about a socially relevant topic and also those that took the time to say "Hey THANKS, yer the man! (or WOman!)"

Affero Community Random Hacks of Kindness Newsletter Volume #2 \| February 2003
Hack - no, it's not something your cat does to get rid of excess fur in his throat. From The Jargon File 4.3.3, a hack is "an incredibly good, and perhaps very time consuming, piece of work that produces exactly what is needed." Despite the unpleasant phonetic sound, a hack is a very positive body of work. If you have ever authored online content, given support to another person in the form of a piece of code, advice or the like, simply because they needed it, you are guilty of committing a random hack of kindness. It goes on thousands of times each day. But did you know, when you make the decision to be a kinder person, you are effectively bringing about positive social change! And by doing so, you not only improve the well being and health of yourself and make the person you helped feel all warm and fuzzy inside, but your kindness has a ripple effect. It has the magical ability to inspire even those who are privy to the act (uh...hack). OK, so it doesn't make you Daredevil but it is powerful! We would like to recognize a few outstanding individuals that do good work, provide a fix to that annoying bug, raise awareness about a socially relevant topic and also those that took the time to say "Hey THANKS, yer the man! (or WOman!)"
	Newsworthy Hack of Kindness: Moodle is PHP software that aims to make quality online courses easy to develop and conduct. Learning and development are guided using a social constructionist philosophy. Moodle offers a free alternative to commercial software, such as WebCT and Blackboard, and is being used in a growing number of universities, schools, and independent teachers for distance education or to supplement face-to-face teaching. See the Sourceforge Page Here.
Affero services empower recognition and financial reward for valuable contributions to virtual discussions. As people build reputations through their interactions in various online communities, Affero offers a way to document people's reputations and make them available outside each particular community. Below are some of the gracious comments Affero members have made to recognize the help they received. 01.20.03 - ddaniels recognized the help from drloss "His tireless effort to promote learning and the dispersion of learning tools freely in the community is a model for all people." 02.03.03 - tkrag recognized the help from derb "It's good to see someone else interested in the same areas as myself. Social aspects of technology. Their relations to developing world issues, etc. Thanks David, for your comments and pointers to the on-line world of ICT for Developments" 02.11.03 - PktLoss recognized the help from BigWillyStyle42 and donated $5 to MetaMachine on his behalf "Thanks for your ongoing contribution to the forums. The help you give users is appreciated by the community." If you are one of the many, working to help others without an expectation of direct return, consider joining Affero to enable others to show their respects when you help them, and consider leaving a word of kindness behind when someone helps you. And if they REALLY helped you, why not give a financial gift to a worthy cause on his or her behalf. It’s an uncertain and challenging time, and that can be stressful. It has been scientifically proven that regular, small acts of kindness have a positive effect on your physical and mental well being. We must assume that one of our basic purposes on planet Earth in life is to be kind. Why else would our body reward us every time we help someone? Kindness knows no barriers. You don't have to be big, strong, rich or powerful to be kind. In fact, anyone can do it. So what are you waiting for...go commit a random hack of kindness and I betcha anything the recipient of your kindness will do the same for someone else! Know of a Hack of Kindness that you want to share with us for consideration in the next newsletter? Send it to: submit@affero.com Do you like reading about this good news for a change? Subscribe to receive our Random Hacks of Kindness Newsletter here. GIVE US YOUR FEEDBACK: What do you think of this newsletter? Comments/Criticisms/Suggestions here.
No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. Author: Aesop