NationStates

What we are Looking For

Two years ago we added to our Technical team to address a lack of skilled development staff. We are now repeating this excercise, but with a focus on frontend development, design, and accessibility.

As a volunteer, you would generally be free to dabble in whatever you thought would be helpful to site users. This might involve:

• designing a new default theme for the site
• designing an alternate theme
• improving overall site accessibility
• improving UI elements
• working with our existing tech team to change the way we generate content

Note that as one of the internet's older sites, NationStates doesn't currently employ modern frontend frameworks. We are mostly old-school HTML and CSS. Migrating to modern tools is desirable but also challenging.

We're interested in applications from people with a range of skills and experience. Ideally, we're seeking someone with both design skills and the ability to implement those designs in HTML/CSS; however, we're also considering pure designers, i.e. people who know color, fonts, icons, images, and layout.

How to Apply:

We are only taking applications for this role, not nominations. If you are interested in applying, please contact us via Getting Help Request.

Supporting information on your skills is essential, as well as letting us know what you think you could achieve in the role. Ideally please link to design projects or a github profile. We understand that some code mostly in their profession, so this is not always possible - but if you do have a github profile, please add it.

FAQs:

What's the deadline for applying?
There is no particular deadline for applications - when we are no longer looking, this announcement will be taken down.

How many people are you looking for?
We do not have a target for a number of people to take on - it depends on the applications that come through. The end result could be no-one is brought on board, or multiple people are.

My preference is for backend development - am I able to apply?
Our focus is on frontend developers. However, we are willing to consider exceptional applications from others who believe their skills could contribute significantly to site development.

I have some blemishes on my Moderation record. Can I still apply?
Yes. This is considered as part of the Moderator team review, and there is also the potential to contribute in a non-staff role, for example as Northrop-Grumman has done for years with the Dark Theme.

Please feel free to ask any other questions you have in this thread, but do not use it for applications/nominations.

(Q)

may be a dumb question but. Will you need to have a Pc?

Empire of Lettuce wrote:(Q)

may be a dumb question but. Will you need to have a Pc?

Yes. You can't be a developer for our site from your phone/from an iPad.

Would a frontend designer answer UI suggestions?

To be perfectly honest, if you don't know what the role of a frontend designer is, that's a really good sign you shouldn't be applying for this role.

United Calanworie wrote:To be perfectly honest, if you don't know what the role of a frontend designer is, that's a really good sign you shouldn't be applying for this role.

I'm really really not. I was just wondering

How many hours a day would you expect developers to put in?

There is no set expectation for contribution hours. We’re an all-volunteer team, after all.

Also, if you don’t mind me asking, what JS frameworks and APIs would you guys expect a developer to work with?

Holy crap! You are redesigning the site! (Maybe after this season 4 will come out *wink*) I have some basic coding knowledge from fandom, but I love graphic design! I’ll definitely be able to try to submit some recommendations I think a major thing to be re worked is the market page, and all 4 tabs in it, it’s very clunky.

Sedgistan wrote:What we are Looking For

Two years ago we added to our Technical team to address a lack of skilled development staff. We are now repeating this excercise, but with a focus on frontend development, design, and accessibility.

As a volunteer, you would generally be free to dabble in whatever you thought would be helpful to site users. This might involve:

• designing a new default theme for the site
• designing an alternate theme
• improving overall site accessibility
• improving UI elements
• working with our existing tech team to change the way we generate content

Note that as one of the internet's older sites, NationStates doesn't currently employ modern frontend frameworks. We are mostly old-school HTML and CSS. Migrating to modern tools is desirable but also challenging.

We're interested in applications from people with a range of skills and experience. Ideally, we're seeking someone with both design skills and the ability to implement those designs in HTML/CSS; however, we're also considering pure designers, i.e. people who know color, fonts, icons, images, and layout.

How to Apply:

We are only taking applications for this role, not nominations. If you are interested in applying, please contact us via Getting Help Request.

Supporting information on your skills is essential, as well as letting us know what you think you could achieve in the role. Ideally please link to design projects or a github profile. We understand that some code mostly in their profession, so this is not always possible - but if you do have a github profile, please add it.

FAQs:

What's the deadline for applying?
There is no particular deadline for applications - when we are no longer looking, this announcement will be taken down.

How many people are you looking for?
We do not have a target for a number of people to take on - it depends on the applications that come through. The end result could be no-one is brought on board, or multiple people are.

My preference is for backend development - am I able to apply?
Our focus is on frontend developers. However, we are willing to consider exceptional applications from others who believe their skills could contribute significantly to site development.

I have some blemishes on my Moderation record. Can I still apply?
Yes. This is considered as part of the Moderator team review, and there is also the potential to contribute in a non-staff role, for example as Northrop-Grumman has done for years with the Dark Theme.

Please feel free to ask any other questions you have in this thread, but do not use it for applications/nominations.

So when are the new effects going to take place? Just as they come out and mods approve it?

The Ansalonian States wrote:Also, if you don’t mind me asking, what JS frameworks and APIs would you guys expect a developer to work with?

As stated in the OP:

Sedgistan wrote:Note that as one of the internet's older sites, NationStates doesn't currently employ modern frontend frameworks. We are mostly old-school HTML and CSS. Migrating to modern tools is desirable but also challenging.

Now this looks like a job for me.

And I’ll check if Stryke might be interested.

Modding the themes via Userstyles has been a helpful learning experience to know what’s under the hood.

Honestly, I'd love to do this, but I'm nowhere NEAR being a expert on Frontend designing.

Godspeed to anyone who gets the role.

Damn, if only I had the time and faith in my own skills and technical knowledge (despite holding a CS degree) I would apply. But I really don't bring that much to the table besides basic front-end web development skills (JavaScript, React, etc) and wouldn't want to hold the site back so I'll refrain. Plus I couldn't make a guarantee that I wouldn't crash the production server (on accident or otherwise). Sounds like it would be a good role to show off on a CV though, so good luck to those that apply.

For Only 4000$ Per Month "I" Will Be Your 10x Developer, As Nothing Useful Was Ever Made Rent-Free !

I’m good at HTML/CSS. What are other programming languages we need though?

I'm good at HTML/CSS, but I think I get disqualified because sometimes I think we need to go back to 2002-era web design.

And if you really want to get spicy, maybe we can bring back iframes, too.

My rate is 7.51 decks/hour.

That said, it'll probably still take me 43 years to catch Mikeswill.

Related to this, Forum Moderator Refuge Isle has also taken on a Tech role to reflect their ability and desire to contribute to technical changes.

We continue to also look for further candidates.

So do you mail the modorators on the report page and say “I want a job on this site” or something else because there’s no button for that.

Is there an API for nationstates? This would allow to build a webapp without fighting with technical debt.

Nandaek wrote:So do you mail the modorators on the report page and say “I want a job on this site” or something else because there’s no button for that.

As Sedge said, just submit a GHR. The mods have said before that the category you pick doesn't really matter.

Great Schwanien wrote:Is there an API for nationstates? This would allow to build a webapp without fighting with technical debt.

Yes.

Is there a specific application template. I have experience with all these things on the side, mostly stuff related to Minecraft server sites and whatnot, but I think I can work with NationStates. I might be able to figure out all of the old stuff easily.

There's not a specific template, because we also think there's likely to be a wide variety to applicants' backgrounds. This is what we ask for:

Supporting information on your skills is essential, as well as letting us know what you think you could achieve in the role. Ideally please link to design projects or a github profile. We understand that some code mostly in their profession, so this is not always possible - but if you do have a github profile, please add it.

If you think something is relevant, include it.