Hacker News Nostalgia Engine

How it works

The "Hacker News Nostalgia Engine" workflow is designed to fetch and display trending topics from Hacker News for the same date in previous years. The workflow consists of several interconnected nodes that facilitate this process.

1. Start Node:

The workflow begins with a trigger node that initiates the process. This node can be set to run on a schedule, allowing it to execute daily.

2. Date Calculation:

The next step involves a function node that calculates the date for the previous years. It takes the current date and subtracts the necessary number of years to create a list of dates for the past years.

3. Hacker News API Request:

Following the date calculation, an HTTP Request node is used to fetch data from the Hacker News API. This node is configured to make GET requests to the Hacker News endpoint, specifically querying for stories from the calculated dates.

4. Data Processing:

After retrieving the data, another function node processes the response. This node filters and formats the data to extract only the relevant information, such as titles and URLs of the trending topics.

5. Display Output:

Finally, the workflow concludes with a node that formats the output for display. This could involve sending the results to a user interface or another service where the information can be viewed.

The data flows sequentially from the start node to the date calculation, then to the API request, followed by data processing, and ultimately to the output display.

Key Features

- Historical Data Retrieval:

The workflow uniquely allows users to access trending topics from Hacker News on the same date across multiple years, providing a nostalgic look back at past discussions and trends.

- Automated Scheduling:

The ability to run the workflow on a schedule ensures that users receive updated information daily without manual intervention.

- Data Filtering and Formatting:

The workflow includes built-in data processing capabilities that filter and format the information, making it easy to read and understand.

- Integration with Hacker News:

By leveraging the Hacker News API, the workflow provides real-time access to trending topics, ensuring that the information is current and relevant.

Tools Integration

- Hacker News API:

The primary integration is with the Hacker News API, which is accessed through an HTTP Request node. This allows the workflow to pull in data directly from Hacker News.

- n8n Nodes:

The workflow utilizes various n8n nodes including:

• Start Node (for scheduling)

• Function Nodes (for date calculation and data processing)

• HTTP Request Node (for API calls)

• Output Node (for displaying results)

API Keys Required

No API keys or authentication credentials are required for this workflow to function, as it utilizes the public Hacker News API, which does not require authentication for accessing trending stories.