CaligatioJul 2024Recommends
And like almost all things that are interesting, here's a Ton Scott video about the same topic: ▶ this video
in “Postzegelcode” · View on HN
How the US Postal Service reads terrible handwriting
How the US Postal Service reads terrible handwriting on HackerTube: recommended by 4 Hacker News commenters across 3 separate months, 2022–2026.
Tom Scott
Open on YouTubedocumentary · evergreen
Tom Scott visits the USPS Remote Encoding Center in Salt Lake City, where keyers decipher mail images machines cannot read. It shows the lengths taken to decode bad handwriting.
Why Hacker News recommends it
Recommended in address and OCR threads as a look at the last human mail-coding operation.
- people recommended it
- 4
- separate months
- 3
- strong recommendations
- 0
- discussed on HN
- 2022–2026
“This Tom Scott video shows some of the surprising (to me) lengths to which the USPS does go to figure out the right address”
What HN commenters said
8 Hacker News comments link this video. Each one links back to its thread.
LordDragonfangApr 2024Recommends
Tom Scott did a great video showing the last one in operation. They use totally unique keyboards with what is essentially a stenography system: ▶ this video
in “Amazon ditches 'just walk out' checkouts at its grocery stores” · View on HN
bombcarMar 2023Recommends
▶ this video might be of interest - it has some of what the machines are trying to read and what accuracy they need.
in “What Is the Most Minimal UK Address Possible?” · View on HN
simmonmtMar 2023Recommends
This Tom Scott video shows some of the surprising (to me) lengths to which the USPS does go to figure out the right address: ▶ this video Obviously this doesn't apply to your case, but I certainly didn't think they'd have a national center for decoding terrible handwriting.
in “What Is the Most Minimal UK Address Possible?” · View on HN
shagieApr 2026Cites it
As a profession (and under time constraints) ... Tom Scott : How the US Postal Service reads terrible handwriting - ▶ this video Part of the story is that the OCR that is handling hand lettered addresses. I also chuckled at the cursive letter recognition sheet on the side of the cube.
in “AI helps add 10k more photos to OldNYC” · View on HN
yencabulatorFeb 2026Cites it
> Though USPS has been doing handwriting recognition since the 80's. On a very restricted dictionary of possible content, with a pool of people employed to fix anything where the computer is unsure. ▶ this video
in “Using an Engineering Notebook” · View on HN
Show 2 more comments
bombcarMar 2023Cites it
One of Don Rosa's books has the letters he sent to a friend in college, each with a drawing on the envelope and less and less address, until finally it was all drawing and barely part of a name - they all got (eventually) delivered. There's a specific branch of the post office that works on these - the dead letter office: ▶ this video
in “What Is the Most Minimal UK Address Possible?” · View on HN
omginternetsDec 2022Cites it
Actually, we're talking about both, and you are wrong on both counts. If you weren't, you would be able to point to an existing system that has demonstrated the capability of classifying an image set on the order of iCloud's, without producing a false-positive. You can't, because such a system doesn't exist. Even the "solved" problem of OCR isn't capable of such a feat: ▶ this video
in “Apple Kills Plans to Scan for CSAM in iCloud” · View on HN
Topics & tags
Computer vision, speech & NLPManufacturing & industrial processesDocumentaries & storytellinguspstom scottocrmail sortinghandwriting