lobste.rs

Lobste.rs is an invite-only, community-driven link aggregation platform focused on computing, programming, and technical topics, similar to Hacker News but with a smaller, more curated audience of developers, engineers, and tech enthusiasts. It emphasizes high-quality discussions on niche subjects like AI, security, databases, and languages such as Rust or JavaScript, using a robust tagging system for easy filtering and public moderation logs for transparency. Ideal for startups in tech/software targeting deep technical audiences rather than broad consumer reach.

For SEO value, submissions provide nofollow links only, limiting direct ranking juice but offering exposure to a engaged tech crowd with potential referral traffic from votes, comments, and shares. With a Domain Rating of 12, it's modest in authority but valuable for niche relevance and brand visibility among developers—think indirect benefits like mentions or traffic rather than high-DR backlinks. Its open-source Ruby on Rails codebase (4.4k GitHub stars) adds credibility in dev circles.

To get listed: Secure an invite from existing members via personal networks, tech forums, or contributions to open-source projects—public invites are rare to maintain quality. Best practices include submitting only highly relevant, original tech content (e.g., tools, announcements) with clear tags; engage genuinely in discussions without spamming to build karma and visibility. Avoid promotional pitches—focus on value to encourage upvotes and comments.