[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":675},["ShallowReactive",2],{"project-28587458":3},{"id":4,"name":5,"line":6,"line_source":7,"title":8,"url":9,"domain":10,"maker":11,"posted_at":12,"year":13,"points":14,"comments":15,"rank_in_year":16,"shown_in_year":17,"top":18,"tier":19,"category":20,"subcategory":21,"format":20,"keywords":22,"reception":28,"sentiment":29,"stance_mix":30,"scored_comments":16,"aspects":35,"strip":46,"post_text":47,"what":48,"said":84,"maker_in_thread":192,"shape":205,"grid":210,"attempts":637,"same_week":638,"maker_shows":301,"maker_hidden":667,"reader_version":668,"card":669},"28587458","I built four eight-foot-long handwriting robots","Four eight-foot-long handwriting robots","title","Show HN: I built four eight-foot-long handwriting robots","https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002Faarondfrancis\u002Fstatus\u002F1438888219471491074","twitter.com","aarondf",1632082007,2021,408,164,71,2533,3,"legend","hardware","pen plotter robot",[23,24,25,26,27],"handwriting robot","pen plotter","axidraw","handwritten mail","property tax protest","mixed",-0.268,{"positive":31,"neutral":32,"mixed":33,"critical":34},9,28,5,29,{"design":36,"execution":39,"idea":41,"pricing":44,"privacy":45},{"positive":37,"critical":38},0,1,{"positive":40,"critical":18},4,{"positive":42,"critical":43},2,23,{"positive":37,"critical":37},{"positive":37,"critical":38},[38,33,40,33,38,38,18,42,38,38,38,18,33,33,18,37,18,38,37,37,18,18,33,18,37,38,18,38,38,18,38,37,33,42,38,38,38,38,38,38],null,{"problem":49,"audience":59,"pricing":64,"motivation":69,"time_to_build":47,"stack":74,"openness":81,"stage":82,"team_size":83},{"value":50,"source":51,"evidence":52},"Makes mail look handwritten to raise open rates for a property tax protest firm","maker",[53,56],{"id":54,"by":11,"text":55},"28588086","In Texas, the county puts a value on your house that then determines how much you pay in taxes. Usually they just kinda eyeball it. The homeowner is allowed to protest and say…",{"id":57,"by":11,"text":58},"28588540","> I'm curious of OP had any moral qualms about deceiving people, and I ask this with complete sincerity and with no desire to downplay the (technical) impressiveness of the…",{"value":60,"source":51,"evidence":61},"Texas homeowners who hire a property tax protest firm",[62,63],{"id":54,"by":11,"text":55},{"id":57,"by":11,"text":58},{"value":65,"source":51,"evidence":66},"Firm is paid a percentage of realized tax savings, nothing if no savings",[67,68],{"id":54,"by":11,"text":55},{"id":57,"by":11,"text":58},{"value":70,"source":51,"evidence":71},"Increase open rates for direct mail sent to homeowners for the firm's tax protest service",[72,73],{"id":57,"by":11,"text":58},{"id":54,"by":11,"text":55},[75],{"value":76,"source":51,"evidence":77},"Axidraw pen plotter controller and motors",[78],{"id":79,"by":11,"text":80},"28588111","Holding it at 45 works well for e.g. a sharpie, but it didn't work quite as well for a ball point pen, which we ended up using. We tried a bunch of different pens and eventually…","unknown","launched","team",{"praise":85,"objections":109,"requests":146,"questions":158,"alternatives":175},[86,102],{"value":87,"source":88,"evidence":89},"Technically impressive build","commenter",[90,94,98],{"id":91,"by":92,"text":93},"28589958","CosmicShadow","Really impressive and fun to build I'm sure. I bought an Axidraw last year to play around with making fake signatures of fake people and as well we were getting a ton of Etsy…",{"id":95,"by":96,"text":97},"28589310","aerovistae","I feel like this person is a genius.",{"id":99,"by":100,"text":101},"28594421","sitkack","This really should be a Best Of HN post. Great work!",{"value":103,"source":88,"evidence":104},"Useful pen alignment and jig design",[105],{"id":106,"by":107,"text":108},"28589881","iambateman","Over the past few months, we've been playing with the Axidraw to bootstrap a handwritten card service, so I loved reading about the way you solved some similar problems –…",[110,125,136],{"value":111,"source":88,"evidence":112},"Fake personalization is deceptive and amoral",[113,117,121],{"id":114,"by":115,"text":116},"28588274","endisneigh","Though this is technically impressive, the continued pretending of \"personalization\" is pretty disgusting to me. Why not just be explicit that it's automated? Because people…",{"id":118,"by":119,"text":120},"28588416","PedroBatista","Another week, another impressive technological display of amoral mass-douchebaggery. Even most crimes require a lot of work and many a fair amount of technical prowess, but at…",{"id":122,"by":123,"text":124},"28589912","haikurion","If I didn’t know better I would think this is a parody of morally bankrupt technologists. But it’s not a parody, it’s an obscene reality. - They have constructed a (rather…",{"value":126,"source":88,"evidence":127},"Handwriting is too consistent and easy to spot as computer generated",[128,132],{"id":129,"by":130,"text":131},"28590522","joshuaellinger","I live in Austin TX and got one of the mailers last year. I was wondering how you pulled it off. The handwriting on the outside does make it look personal but, once you open it,…",{"id":133,"by":134,"text":135},"28590318","sverhagen","I'm still surprised how often I get still direct mail with something \"handwritten\" on it, where it's obviously not, because every same letter looks the same. This seems like a…",{"value":137,"source":88,"evidence":138},"Pressure and stroke variation are missing",[139,143],{"id":140,"by":141,"text":142},"28591378","Keyframe","I guess this might be for future iterations... But.. aren't variations in inclination, pressure and stroke (direction and order of strokes) super important for handwriting? How…",{"id":144,"by":11,"text":145},"28594763","Yes you are absolutely correct! That's the biggest flaw in this system IMO. And I don't think it's fixable without a fundamental redesign. The pressure is controlled by a…",[147,151],{"value":148,"source":88,"evidence":149},"Add pressure and stroke variation",[150],{"id":140,"by":141,"text":142},{"value":152,"source":88,"evidence":153},"Automate jig placement with self-locating features",[154],{"id":155,"by":156,"text":157},"28589198","jjk166","Instead of using a vacuum to directly place a sheet of paper, instead automate the placement of jigs. Design the jigs with self-locating features so they can be placed by a…",[159,167],{"value":160,"source":88,"evidence":161},"Why build this and does it hurt response rates",[162,166],{"id":163,"by":164,"text":165},"28591018","phgn","Does he mention why he's building this? I understand that handwritten letters might receive a bit more attention, but doesn't it come across as unprofessional? It would for me -…",{"id":129,"by":130,"text":131},{"value":168,"source":88,"evidence":169},"How the letters were sent and how conversions were measured",[170,174],{"id":171,"by":172,"text":173},"28587947","ipsum2","What were the letters for? Were conversion rates significantly better than typed letters?",{"id":54,"by":11,"text":55},[176,185],{"value":177,"source":51,"evidence":178},"Handwrytten, Scribeless, RoboQuill, HandwrittenMail, LetterFriend",[179,182],{"id":180,"by":11,"text":181},"28588459","> Are people more likely to read your mail if it has a handwritten envelope? That is the theory! > My question would: Isn't it faster to just have some people write the addresses…",{"id":183,"by":11,"text":184},"28588743","> In other words, a bit of a race to the bottom. Copied from another comment, but this is what I got from ~10 seconds googling. • https:\u002F\u002Fwww.handwrytten.com\u002F •…",{"value":186,"source":88,"evidence":187},"Autopen AF, MAXWriter, RealPen",[188],{"id":189,"by":190,"text":191},"28588392","Animats","The Autopen AF is a commercial product for this.[1] There's also MAXWriter and RealPen. All have paper feeders, so they can turn out page after page, unattended. In China, some…",{"comments":193,"answered":194,"key":195},35,13,[196,199,202],{"id":197,"text":198},"28590578","No way, you got one of our letters? That's crazy! I'd be curious which version you got. We sent a few different iterations. I'll have to look you up tomorrow when I'm back at the…",{"id":200,"text":201},"28592695","I looked you up. If the word \"Graveline\" means anything to you, then I found the right guy! It's possible that you got one of our handwritten letters, given the properties that…",{"id":203,"text":204},"28590423","Careful posting that here, you might get called Moloch (whatever that is) or an amoral douchebag! Seriously though, Axidraws rule. Glad it's working for y'all.",{"commenters":206,"max_depth":207,"maker_replies":193,"first_comment_mins":208,"lifespan_hours":209},94,8,25,92,[211,213,215,218,219,223,226,228,229,232,234,238,240,242,245,249,252,255,257,259,262,265,267,270,272,275,278,281,284,287,290,292,296,299,303,307,311,314,315,318,320,323,326,329,332,333,335,340,342,345,347,349,352,354,356,358,361,363,365,367,370,372,374,376,380,383,384,385,388,390,393,395,398,401,404,407,410,412,415,417,419,421,423,426,429,430,434,438,440,444,446,450,452,456,459,462,464,466,470,474,476,478,481,483,485,487,489,491,493,495,498,500,502,506,508,511,514,518,522,525,527,530,534,537,540,542,545,548,551,554,556,559,561,563,565,568,570,573,577,578,582,585,588,590,592,593,594,597,598,600,602,605,608,610,613,615,618,620,622,624,626,629,632,634],[129,37,38,212,130,37],"project\u002Fcritical\u002Fdesign",[197,37,37,214,11,38],"maker\u002Fneutral\u002Fnone",[216,37,37,217,130,37],"28590730","commenter\u002Fneutral\u002Fnone",[200,37,37,214,11,38],[220,37,37,221,222,37],"28592932","other\u002Fneutral\u002Fnone","grifball",[224,37,37,221,225,37],"28593054","_whiteCaps_",[91,38,33,227,92,37],"project\u002Fpositive\u002Fexecution",[203,38,37,217,11,38],[230,38,33,231,92,37],"28595227","maker\u002Fpositive\u002Fnone",[233,38,37,217,11,38],"28596055",[235,38,18,236,237,37],"28590426","project\u002Fneutral\u002Fexecution","wongarsu",[239,38,18,236,92,37],"28595120",[189,42,18,241,190,37],"project\u002Fneutral\u002Fnone",[243,42,37,221,244,37],"28589100","maddyboo",[246,18,33,247,248,37],"28588961","project\u002Fpositive\u002Fidea","hamburgerwah",[250,18,37,251,11,38],"28588982","project\u002Fneutral\u002Fidea",[253,18,37,221,254,37],"28589362","300bps",[256,18,37,251,11,38],"28589472",[258,18,37,217,254,37],"28592834",[260,18,38,261,248,37],"28590193","project\u002Fcritical\u002Fnone",[263,18,37,221,264,37],"28590336","dang",[133,40,38,266,134,37],"project\u002Fcritical\u002Fexecution",[268,40,18,236,269,37],"28590343","jahewson",[271,40,37,236,11,38],"28590416",[273,40,18,236,274,37],"28590511","ACAVJW4H",[276,40,18,236,277,37],"28591809","aembleton",[279,40,18,236,280,37],"28591775","pvitz",[282,40,18,236,283,37],"28591834","matsemann",[285,40,18,236,286,37],"28592144","nicoburns",[288,40,18,236,289,37],"28597075","kixiQu",[291,40,18,236,283,37],"28597504",[293,33,38,294,295,37],"28594447","project\u002Fcritical\u002Fidea","air7",[297,33,38,294,298,37],"28599864","teddyh",[300,301,37,221,302,37],"28589342",6,"max0563",[304,305,38,294,306,37],"28589489",7,"analog31",[308,305,18,309,310,37],"28589787","project\u002Fneutral\u002Fdesign","gruez",[312,305,38,266,313,37],"28591950","distances",[163,207,38,294,164,37],[316,207,18,251,317,37],"28591991","retSava",[319,207,38,294,164,37],"28592120",[321,207,38,294,322,37],"28593340","tantalor",[324,207,38,294,325,37],"28593399","JohnWhigham",[327,207,38,294,328,37],"28593482","asteroidbelt",[330,31,18,309,331,37],"28587975","gus_massa",[79,31,37,309,11,38],[334,31,37,241,11,38],"28588201",[336,337,18,338,339,37],"28588456",10,"project\u002Fmixed\u002Fexecution","soheil",[341,337,37,236,11,38],"28588497",[343,337,18,236,344,37],"28588943","wombatmobile",[346,337,37,236,11,38],"28589181",[348,337,37,217,344,37],"28589485",[350,337,33,227,351,37],"28588955","scottyp21",[353,337,37,217,11,38],"28589186",[355,337,18,236,339,37],"28589534",[357,337,37,236,11,38],"28590477",[359,337,33,227,360,37],"28597157","fuzzylightbulb",[106,362,33,227,107,37],11,[364,362,37,217,11,38],"28590455",[366,362,37,221,107,37],"28594864",[368,362,18,309,369,37],"28599432","HeyLaughingBoy",[371,362,37,236,11,38],"28600742",[373,362,37,221,344,37],"28591016",[375,362,37,221,107,37],"28593314",[377,378,37,221,379,37],"28587658",12,"drKarl",[381,378,37,382,11,38],"28587690","maker\u002Fneutral\u002Fidea",[171,194,18,241,172,37],[54,194,37,251,11,38],[386,194,37,221,387,37],"28588203","hellbannedguy",[389,194,37,241,11,38],"28588216",[391,194,38,294,392,37],"28588253","michaelt",[394,194,18,236,387,37],"28589621",[396,194,37,221,397,37],"28590394","mbiondi",[399,194,37,221,400,37],"28591458","Kliment",[402,194,37,221,403,37],"28588297","tinco",[405,194,37,221,406,37],"28588380","hamaluik",[408,194,37,221,409,37],"28588882","LanceH",[411,194,37,221,306,37],"28589513",[413,194,37,221,414,37],"28589981","aidenn0",[416,194,37,221,306,37],"28590222",[418,194,37,221,414,37],"28590392",[420,194,37,221,387,37],"28589565",[422,194,37,221,414,37],"28589999",[424,194,37,221,425,37],"28589087","jameshart",[427,194,18,382,428,37],"28588261","felixr",[180,194,37,241,11,38],[431,194,18,432,433,37],"28599851","project\u002Fmixed\u002Fidea","tomcam",[435,194,18,436,437,37],"28588725","maker\u002Fneutral\u002Fexecution","manquer",[439,194,37,214,11,38],"28588869",[441,194,18,442,443,37],"28589643","project\u002Fneutral\u002Fpricing","jccalhoun",[445,194,37,442,11,38],"28590473",[447,448,18,309,449,37],"28588072",14,"anfractuosity",[451,448,37,309,11,38],"28588128",[453,454,33,247,455,37],"28590372",15,"alach11",[457,454,37,458,11,38],"28590445","commenter\u002Fneutral\u002Fidea",[460,454,37,221,461,37],"28590467","TedDoesntTalk",[463,454,37,221,455,37],"28594715",[465,454,37,221,461,37],"28601712",[467,468,18,432,469,37],"28593309",16,"weinzierl",[471,472,37,221,473,37],"28590357",17,"bschwindHN",[475,472,37,221,11,38],"28590463",[477,472,37,221,473,37],"28596437",[479,472,37,221,480,37],"28590657","bigiain",[482,472,37,221,473,37],"28596459",[140,484,38,266,141,37],18,[144,484,37,486,11,38],"project\u002Fneutral\u002Fperformance",[488,484,37,221,141,37],"28627556",[490,484,37,221,11,38],"28631407",[155,492,18,309,156,37],19,[494,492,37,309,11,38],"28589227",[496,492,37,221,497,37],"28600265","zwieback",[499,492,37,236,11,38],"28605140",[501,492,37,221,497,37],"28623436",[503,504,38,294,505,37],"28588954",20,"zinckiwi",[507,504,37,221,11,38],"28588969",[509,504,38,294,510,37],"28589373","robbrown451",[512,504,37,221,513,37],"28590270","philipswood",[515,516,38,294,517,37],"28610992",21,"didntknowya",[519,520,38,294,521,37],"28588482",22,"kragen",[523,520,37,217,524,37],"28593955","Nathanael_M",[526,520,37,217,521,37],"28598935",[528,43,18,251,529,37],"28591195","tinyshi",[531,532,18,251,533,37],"28587972",24,"varjag",[535,532,37,217,536,37],"28588078","mypalmike",[538,532,37,221,539,37],"28589106","stickfigure",[541,532,37,217,11,38],"28589230",[543,532,37,221,544,37],"28591915","DonHopkins",[546,532,38,294,547,37],"28588793","ggggtez",[549,532,37,217,550,37],"28588919","chrisseaton",[552,532,37,221,553,37],"28589217","nomdep",[555,532,37,217,550,37],"28589252",[557,532,37,221,558,37],"28589121","SavantIdiot",[99,208,33,560,100,37],"project\u002Fpositive\u002Fnone",[95,562,33,231,96,37],26,[564,562,37,214,11,38],"28589458",[566,562,37,221,567,37],"28590330","whatshisface",[569,562,37,214,11,38],"28590487",[571,562,18,214,572,37],"28592737","roflc0ptic",[574,575,18,241,576,37],"28588914",27,"forgotmypw17",[122,32,38,294,123,37],[579,32,38,580,581,37],"28590058","project\u002Fcritical\u002Fprivacy","tyingq",[583,32,37,221,584,37],"28590151","rapind",[586,32,37,221,587,37],"28590274","specialist",[589,32,37,217,524,37],"28594037",[591,32,37,217,587,37],"28594409",[114,34,38,294,115,37],[57,34,37,382,11,38],[595,34,37,217,596,37],"28588681","IkmoIkmo",[183,34,37,214,11,38],[599,34,38,294,437,37],"28588694",[601,34,37,214,11,38],"28588714",[603,34,38,294,604,37],"28589016","jacquesm",[606,34,38,607,425,37],"28589055","maker\u002Fcritical\u002Fidea",[609,34,37,217,92,37],"28590036",[611,34,37,217,612,37],"28590536","haihaibye",[614,34,37,217,92,37],"28595519",[616,34,37,217,617,37],"28591040","aforwardslash",[619,34,37,217,425,37],"28592731",[621,34,38,607,510,37],"28589407",[623,34,37,221,533,37],"28591644",[625,34,38,294,612,37],"28590484",[627,34,18,432,628,37],"28589846","a-dub",[630,34,18,338,631,37],"28591666","camtarn",[118,633,38,294,119,37],30,[635,633,38,294,636,37],"28593394","amelius",[],[639,644,648,653,657,662],{"id":640,"name":641,"points":642,"category":643},"28595967","hacker-recommended-books",1359,"learning_science",{"id":645,"name":646,"points":647,"category":643},"28585208","libgen.fun",452,{"id":649,"name":650,"points":651,"category":652},"28616043","Motion 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