ars_ex_machina

Selling it as a "charity hostel" instead of a "donation based hostel" would be a good place to start and change perceptions. Up until this answer, it has really seemed to me like you're trying to explain this as a not for profit business. While similar to a charity, it's not the same. As a charity I think you get a lot more grace for things that are not commercial quality. And it's easier to understand a greater need to make a difference. A lot of businesses are run not for profit to give greater dividends to the share holders. That's simply not the case here. If you license as a charity you'd open yourself up for a greater range of donations as well as more opportunity for local charters.

I admire your belief in the inherent goodness of humans. I wish I still viewed the world through your eyes.

I'm not trying to shoot you down, I admire your overwhelming optimism. And I totally understand doing something that's based on your passion. But from a business standpoint, how is it possible to convince someone to open a local version of this in their town? You've admitted to using personal cash to keep it running. You've said that you're so poor you don't worry about being sued since they'd not get anything (why you're not an LLC I have no idea). This is, admittedly, a non-sustainable business model. Yet you think there should be more. I do not understand that and I'd like to.

Have you read this on /.? http://it.slashdot.org/story/14/04/13/1553258/private-keys-stolen-within-hours-from-heartbleed-openssl-site

Many commenters note that this effectively destroys ssl for all time and the industry needs to rebuild from the ground up. Your thoughts?

Also, I've read in several places now, that using your test effectively violates cybercrime laws and could be considers hacking attacks. Your thoughts on that as well?

Seriously, ego is so over rated. By yourself you'll spend the rest of your days barely floating, if at all. NASA did not send anyone to the moon with a single person conceiving and building a rocket by themselves. (If you read some of the subs, we never sent anyone at all.)

You want to make a difference. You want to show a better half of humanity. So do others. Most lack the ability, more lack the vision. Let people help where they can. Many will want to lend you a hand. If you're seen as a egoist who is all about doing this on his own... then guess what, you'll be left to your own devices. ESPECIALLY in the US. No one thinks twice about an individual sinking here since we've been told since birth you can be ANYTHING you want. This implies failure as well. Simply not true, but people buy the bullshit.

So set up a proper charter. Make a list of goals. Get a few others to be on a board to thinktank it all and suss out every detail for each stage of your goals. Kickstart an initial fundraiser to start 2 or 3 of them in a few cities. Or do a campaign for each individual one. Get local media involved when you're ready. Push it on Reddit, since this group loves a "hey remember when I talked about this... now look at where we went..." thing. In 5 years you'll have a new full time job, so will a few dozen other people. And who knows, when you die, there may be a few thousand people, whom you would have otherwise never met or affected, that mourn you and thank you for making their lives happier, even if it was for just 2 nights and three days.

I don't blame you for getting down. Humans can be complete shit. All the potential we possess and yet... we level out at Jerry Springer.