The Internet is amazing, offering dozens of resources and services that are just a few clicks away, but it can also be a place where you spend a lot of time doing nothing productive or fulfilling. Internet shopping, social media, and cat and dog videos are all amazing, but there are a dozen things you can do that’ll sometimes make you feel better and give you a sense of purpose, like you’ve spent your time wisely.
Popular Science compiled a list of positive and fulfilling things you can do in order to help others while making the Internet and the online community a better place. Check out 5 of our favorites:
Edit Wikipedia
Wikipedia has more than 20,000 new articles a month and millions of visitors a day. You probably visit the site once every other day, by either reading about a movie or doing basic research for a job. The one great thing (and possible drawback) from Wikipedia is the fact that it can be edited by anyone. You don’t even need to have an account.
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Click the Edit link at the top of the page and start making the necessary changes, or including more information. Once you’ve added something onto Wikipedia, you’ll become a member, and other editors can review your changes. By editing the site you can fix people’s mistakes, correct erroneous dates, check spelling, and provide links to verifiable sources. You can even pull pranks; just don’t add things that are wrong for the sake of being a dick.
Leave Reviews For Past Purchases
Leaving an honest review of a product is a simple and effective way of helping a stranger out on the web. It’s the first thing most people look for when they’re buying or booking something online. These reviews are written by humans and, in most cases, they tend to be honest while providing details, images, and aspects that they liked and didn’t like about their experience. Reviews are mostly awful or amazing, but by adding reviews of experiences that were unremarkable or average you can still make a difference and help someone out. We need more of that online.
Promote Good Causes
While a lot of people criticize online activism it does provide awareness on a topic that wouldn’t be discussed otherwise. The best results will be achieved by a combination of online promotion and contributing to a cause in real life.
Following social media accounts of charities and good causes will keep you informed about their latest fundraisers and events. Post about these online and add a personal comment or reason explaining why this charity means a lot to you, and why you want to share it with your friends.
Contribute To Google Maps
Google Maps saves lives, helping travelers and veterans of cities when they’re lost and when they’re trying to get somewhere. The app encourages users to submit pictures and reviews of places, letting people know that they’re in the right spot.
To add information on Google Maps, click a place on the app and browse through the options, which will allow you to submit a photo, rate and review a place, or suggest an edit. The app is very helpful and intuitive, so it’s an easy process that doesn’t take a lot of time.
Beta Test Software
Beta testers are people who try out a software before it’s released by a company, helping the developers capture bugs and mistakes that they might have missed. These testers report the issues free of charge, so that they don’t show up on the final product.
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To be a beta tester you don’t need to have knowledge about code or computers, you just need to be willing and observant, providing an honest account of your experience with the software. You can provide feedback for open source programs such as Mozilla Firefox, Android, and dozens of others, and you might get access to new features before anyone else.
