4 ms·

I created a shareware Tetris clone for OS X in the mid 2000s and provided my cell number in the readme. I'd get a trickle of calls from all over the world at al

I created a shareware Tetris clone for OS X in the mid 2000s and provided my cell number in the readme. I'd get a trickle of calls from all over the world at all times of day. That's where I learned never to have a serial number generator that included the number 0 since it looks so close to the letter 0. It was weird to be out and about and suddenly get a tech support call, but people were usually really nice.

holografix 9y ago
I remember back in the early days of shareware and freeware apps and games where the developer would ask for a postcard if you enjoyed the app! If I ever develop something really small and useful one day I’d love to get post cards from around the world!
- cpv 9y ago
  Still can be found https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15709248 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15709248
- majewsky 9y ago
  I actually thought about adding a similar remark to my programs' READMEs just today, but I don't particularly want my snail-mail address floating around the internet any more than necessary. (Maybe I'll get a postbox, if that's not too expensive.)
Terr_ 9y ago
> the number 0 since it looks so close to the letter 0. Just throwing this out there in case the problem comes up again: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Base58 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Base58
- SyneRyder 9y ago
  It's also worth skipping out the letters S and number 5, the letter G and number 6, and the letter B and number 8. I also omit vowels to avoid accidentally creating words in serial codes.
  - bonesss 9y ago
    I autogenerate passwords exclusively using lower case 'L's, the letter i in both cases, the number 1, and pipe characters.
    - gspetr 9y ago
      There's room for improvement. What about the "!"? Gotta catch those folks with poor eyesight.
- jimktrains2 9y ago
  Also Base32, which has more out-of-the-box support: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Base32#Crockford.27s_Base32 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Base32#Crockford.27s_Base32
- mark-r 9y ago
  That's a good start, but if the string is meant to be typed by hand it would be better to be case insensitive. Some kind of base 32 encoding would be appropriate.
IncRnd 9y ago
The letters I, O and Q are not allowed in automobile VIN codes for the same reason.
astura 9y ago
It's also advisable to omit vowels entirely to avoid generating offensive words.
contingencies 9y ago
You can also use a checksum like in IBAN, I have implemented some auto-detection of mistranscribed input based upon that over here: https://github.com/globalcitizen/php-iban https://github.com/globalcitizen/php-iban
cdubzzz 9y ago
What clone? I was involved with Quinn on OS X back in the day until we got a C&D from The Tetris Company.
- doomlaser 9y ago
  Descender http://web.archive.org/web/20081225163958/http://www.sloppydisk.com:80/descender/ http://web.archive.org/web/20081225163958/http://www.sloppyd...
  - cdubzzz 9y ago
    Nice, looks like it was around about same time as Quinn - https://web.archive.org/web/20110805131134/http://www.simonhaertel.de/quinn https://web.archive.org/web/20110805131134/http://www.simonh... Did you ever hear from TTC?
    - doomlaser 9y ago
      Managed to elude that, though I did meet Pajitnov at GDC years later.

holografix 9y ago

I remember back in the early days of shareware and freeware apps and games where the developer would ask for a postcard if you enjoyed the app! If I ever develop something really small and useful one day I’d love to get post cards from around the world!

cpv 9y ago
Still can be found https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15709248 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15709248
majewsky 9y ago
I actually thought about adding a similar remark to my programs' READMEs just today, but I don't particularly want my snail-mail address floating around the internet any more than necessary. (Maybe I'll get a postbox, if that's not too expensive.)

Terr_ 9y ago

> the number 0 since it looks so close to the letter 0. Just throwing this out there in case the problem comes up again: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Base58 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Base58

SyneRyder 9y ago
It's also worth skipping out the letters S and number 5, the letter G and number 6, and the letter B and number 8. I also omit vowels to avoid accidentally creating words in serial codes.
- bonesss 9y ago
  I autogenerate passwords exclusively using lower case 'L's, the letter i in both cases, the number 1, and pipe characters.
  - gspetr 9y ago
    There's room for improvement. What about the "!"? Gotta catch those folks with poor eyesight.
jimktrains2 9y ago
Also Base32, which has more out-of-the-box support: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Base32#Crockford.27s_Base32 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Base32#Crockford.27s_Base32
mark-r 9y ago
That's a good start, but if the string is meant to be typed by hand it would be better to be case insensitive. Some kind of base 32 encoding would be appropriate.

IncRnd 9y ago

The letters I, O and Q are not allowed in automobile VIN codes for the same reason.

astura 9y ago

It's also advisable to omit vowels entirely to avoid generating offensive words.

contingencies 9y ago

You can also use a checksum like in IBAN, I have implemented some auto-detection of mistranscribed input based upon that over here: https://github.com/globalcitizen/php-iban https://github.com/globalcitizen/php-iban

cdubzzz 9y ago

What clone? I was involved with Quinn on OS X back in the day until we got a C&D from The Tetris Company.

doomlaser 9y ago
Descender http://web.archive.org/web/20081225163958/http://www.sloppydisk.com:80/descender/ http://web.archive.org/web/20081225163958/http://www.sloppyd...
- cdubzzz 9y ago
  Nice, looks like it was around about same time as Quinn - https://web.archive.org/web/20110805131134/http://www.simonhaertel.de/quinn https://web.archive.org/web/20110805131134/http://www.simonh... Did you ever hear from TTC?
  - doomlaser 9y ago
    Managed to elude that, though I did meet Pajitnov at GDC years later.