4 ms·

This reminds me of a story I heard about those ATMs. What I heard is that there are technologies out there that can make a machine to count/validate cash almos

This reminds me of a story I heard about those ATMs. What I heard is that there are technologies out there that can make a machine to count/validate cash almost instantaneous while not sacrificing accuracy. But apparently, that makes some customers worry that their money is not being processed right, and thus, every time you deposit money to those ATMs, they make that grinding noise, appears to be doing something useful.

jdechko 14y ago
Which pisses me off because I'm wondering what the heck is taking so long. If the vending machine can count a dollar instantly, why can't the ATM do it. On the other hand, whatever algorithm they're using for the handwriting recognition on checks is pretty amazing. I've deposited 100's of checks and I've only had to type an amount once.
- encoderer 14y ago
  A state of the art surely advanced by the USPS. Every time I scribble out an address in my awful handwriting I pause for a second to appreciate the USPS software that reads this and turns it into a barcode. Though to be fair I think all it has to do is decipher the zip code.
  - shiflett 14y ago
    It's more complicated than that. The last line has to match two out of three (for example, city and ZIP), and then it can try to do some reverse analysis on what you've written for the address line. (Even that's an oversimplification; it's pretty darn impressive.) The USPS also has the additional challenge of matching what you think is your address with what is actually your address. Very, very few people know their address. If that's not bad enough, if you've ever had something arrive successfully, you expect the address that was used to work forever.
    - kd0amg 14y ago
      The USPS also has the additional challenge of matching what you think is your address with what is actually your address. Very, very few people know their address. What parts of their addresses do people typically get wrong? Where can one go to find one's actual address?
      - sambe 14y ago
        There is not always one answer. In the UK the Royal Mail, electoral roll, credit reference agencies etc can disagree with each other.
      - jloughry 14y ago
        Here's where you can go to find your actual address: https://tools.usps.com/go/ZipLookupAction_input There are, occasionally, errors in the database. I'm trying to get one corrected now. If you find one, go to your local Post Office, find a supervisor, and ask him or her to notify "Address Management".
      - deleted 14y ago
        [deleted]
    - encoderer 14y ago
      I didn't mean to short shrift them -- hell I brought it up to praise them. I've been so impressed before by things like wrong addresses -- hell, one time I saw a letter with no address only my name and zip code. And it's not like I lived in a place where my mail carrier knew me. They've built a hell of a technology there.

jdechko 14y ago

Which pisses me off because I'm wondering what the heck is taking so long. If the vending machine can count a dollar instantly, why can't the ATM do it. On the other hand, whatever algorithm they're using for the handwriting recognition on checks is pretty amazing. I've deposited 100's of checks and I've only had to type an amount once.

encoderer 14y ago
A state of the art surely advanced by the USPS. Every time I scribble out an address in my awful handwriting I pause for a second to appreciate the USPS software that reads this and turns it into a barcode. Though to be fair I think all it has to do is decipher the zip code.
- shiflett 14y ago
  It's more complicated than that. The last line has to match two out of three (for example, city and ZIP), and then it can try to do some reverse analysis on what you've written for the address line. (Even that's an oversimplification; it's pretty darn impressive.) The USPS also has the additional challenge of matching what you think is your address with what is actually your address. Very, very few people know their address. If that's not bad enough, if you've ever had something arrive successfully, you expect the address that was used to work forever.
  - kd0amg 14y ago
    The USPS also has the additional challenge of matching what you think is your address with what is actually your address. Very, very few people know their address. What parts of their addresses do people typically get wrong? Where can one go to find one's actual address?
    - sambe 14y ago
      There is not always one answer. In the UK the Royal Mail, electoral roll, credit reference agencies etc can disagree with each other.
    - jloughry 14y ago
      Here's where you can go to find your actual address: https://tools.usps.com/go/ZipLookupAction_input There are, occasionally, errors in the database. I'm trying to get one corrected now. If you find one, go to your local Post Office, find a supervisor, and ask him or her to notify "Address Management".
    - deleted 14y ago
      [deleted]
  - encoderer 14y ago
    I didn't mean to short shrift them -- hell I brought it up to praise them. I've been so impressed before by things like wrong addresses -- hell, one time I saw a letter with no address only my name and zip code. And it's not like I lived in a place where my mail carrier knew me. They've built a hell of a technology there.