Questions about the index
Frequently asked questions
Using this index and understanding the source
What is HackerTube?
A curated collection of 40 YouTube videos that Hacker News commenters have recommended since 2007, spanning about 45 topics.
Who made HackerTube?
Andrej Karpathy built the original as a weekend project in November 2026, selecting the videos from roughly 43 million Hacker News comments. This site is an independent index of the same material.
Is HackerTube free?
Yes. No account, no paywall, no recommendation feed.
How is it different from YouTube?
There is no algorithm and no autoplay: every video here earned a mention in a Hacker News discussion.
Where do the videos come from?
Public Hacker News comments that link to YouTube, from 2007 to today.
Why only about 40 videos?
A video qualifies only if a comment explicitly recommends it and the link still resolves. Duplicates and dead links are dropped.
Can I search the videos?
Yes, by title, channel and topic on the home page; every video page also lists related talks.
Is there a HackerTube app?
There is no official app from this project. The app with a similar name on the App Store belongs to the Chaos Computer Club conference archive and is unrelated.
Can I download videos?
No. This site only indexes and links; playback happens on YouTube and is subject to YouTube's terms.
How often is the index updated?
Weekly. New entries appear on /new/.