Show HN Daily Selection (2025-08-31)
- Hacker News em dash user leaderboard pre-ChatGPT
- Captan – Open-Source Cap Table Management CLI
- An AI coding tool for unserious projects
- Sometimes GitHub is boring, so I made a CLI tool to fix it
- Yet another daily word game – wotd
- Tool that helps you find domains for your idea
- OpenAnimation – KMP app for exploring and editing Lottie animations
- Give Claude Code control of your browser (open-source)
- Sourcerer – MCP for semantic code search that reduces token waste
- TextPolicy – reinforcement learning for text generation on a MacBook
- I made a mini site to see timezone shifts
- A simple CLI tool to list network ports and their associated bin
- Datacmd – Terminal-native dashboards from CSV/API in one command
- Clone of a Macintosh-Like Computer with a Built-In Basic Interpreter
- Discover Fast-Growing Websites Before They Go Mainstream
- Conversational Companion with realistic mood state machine
- A collection of generic header only data structures written in C
Hacker News em dash user leaderboard pre-ChatGPT [Research]
279 points, 221 comments
A leaderboard ranking Hacker News users based on their pre-ChatGPT em dash (—) usage to detect potential AI-generated text patterns.
- Tracks em dash usage in HN posts before November 30, 2022 (pre-ChatGPT release)
- Ranks users by frequency of em dash usage
- Inspired by dang's suggestion on AI-generated text detection
- Uses Google BigQuery to analyze HN database
- Includes HTML leaderboard display
Discussion Link, Original Link
Captan – Open-Source Cap Table Management CLI [Finance]
4 points, 0 comments
Captan is an open-source CLI tool for managing startup cap tables using a simple JSON file stored in Git.
- Stores cap table data in a version-controlled JSON file
- Supports stakeholders, security classes, share issuances, and option grants
- Includes SAFE record and conversion simulation
- Provides cap table math (Outstanding vs Fully Diluted)
- Exports to CSV/JSON
- Features an audit log for tracking changes
- Enables easy scenario modeling via Git branches
- Designed for early-stage founders seeking a lightweight alternative to SaaS solutions
Discussion Link, Original Link
An AI coding tool for unserious projects [Developer Tools]
4 points, 0 comments
Crazy Context is a playful no-code AI tool for generating project prompts and turning them into JavaScript applications quickly.
- Generates project prompts and converts them into JavaScript apps
- Robust version control
- Unique and easy-to-use approach
- Affordable and fast
- Ideal for trial-and-error experimentation
Discussion Link, Original Link
Sometimes GitHub is boring, so I made a CLI tool to fix it [Developer Tools]
4 points, 0 comments
A CLI tool to visualize and interact with GitHub repositories more engagingly.
- Quickly navigate through a user's GitHub repositories
- Instantly grab the correct git clone URL
- Designed to make GitHub interactions less boring
- Open to feedback, stars, and pull requests
Discussion Link, Original Link
Yet another daily word game – wotd [Entertainment]
3 points, 1 comments
A daily word game inspired by NYT's Spelling Bee and Wordle, where players find a specific word using given letters and optionally discover additional words.
- Inspired by NYT's Spelling Bee and Wordle
- Daily challenge to find a specific word using provided letters
- Secondary goal of discovering additional words
- Progress stored on-device
- Potential future features like leaderboards or competitive elements
Discussion Link, Original Link
Tool that helps you find domains for your idea [Business]
3 points, 0 comments
A free, no-sign-up tool that suggests domain names based on your idea.
- Provides domain name suggestions for your idea
- No sign-up required
- Free to use with 5 searches per day (currently improving)
- Built for personal use, open to feedback and improvements
Discussion Link, Original Link
OpenAnimation – KMP app for exploring and editing Lottie animations [Design]
17 points, 7 comments
OpenAnimation is a Kotlin Multiplatform app for discovering, viewing, and editing Lottie animations.
- Kotlin Multiplatform (KMP) app
- Allows discovery and viewing of Lottie animations
- Provides editing capabilities for animations
- Live demo available
- Open-source with GitHub repository
Discussion Link, Original Link
Give Claude Code control of your browser (open-source) [Developer Tools]
7 points, 3 comments
An open-source tool that allows Claude Code to control your browser for automating tasks.
- Enables browser automation via CLI-based AI agents like Claude Code or Codex
- Currently requires a Gemini API key for operation
- Long-term vision includes local models for privacy preservation
- Not yet recommended for handling sensitive data
- Open-source and available on GitHub
Discussion Link, Original Link
Sourcerer – MCP for semantic code search that reduces token waste [Developer Tools]
4 points, 0 comments
Sourcerer is a semantic code search tool that helps AI agents find specific functions without processing entire files, reducing token waste.
- Uses tree-sitter to parse and index codebases for semantic search
- Returns only relevant code chunks instead of entire files
- Designed to optimize token usage for AI agents
- Demo and GitHub repository available for testing and contribution
Discussion Link, Original Link
TextPolicy – reinforcement learning for text generation on a MacBook [Developer Tools]
4 points, 0 comments
TextPolicy is a reinforcement learning toolkit for text generation designed to run efficiently on a MacBook, enabling learning and experimentation without requiring cloud GPUs.
- Implements GRPO and GSPO algorithms
- Provides a decorator interface for custom reward functions
- Includes LoRA and QLoRA utilities
- Runs on MLX for efficiency on Apple Silicon
- Focused on learning and experimentation, not production use
- Installation via pip with minimal example in README
Discussion Link, Original Link
I made a mini site to see timezone shifts [Productivity]
6 points, 0 comments
A mini site to visualize upcoming and past timezone shifts using the Internationalization API.
- Fully client-side with no dependencies or build steps
- Single HTML file served via Caddy file server
- Uses the Internationalization API for timezone data
- "Vibe-coded" CSS for a unique visual style
- Open-source code available on GitHub
Discussion Link, Original Link
A simple CLI tool to list network ports and their associated bin [Developer Tools]
4 points, 3 comments
Simple CLI tool for listing network ports and associated binaries.
- Lists network ports
- Shows associated binaries
- Command-line interface
Discussion Link, Original Link
Datacmd – Terminal-native dashboards from CSV/API in one command [Developer Tools]
5 points, 2 comments
Datacmd is a terminal-native dashboard tool that converts CSV, JSON, or API data into live visualizations with a single command.
- Generates dynamic dashboards (tables, gauges, pie charts, line charts, etc.) directly in the terminal
- Auto-generates or configures layouts via YAML
- Supports CSV, JSON, REST APIs, and live system metrics (CPU, memory, disk)
- No GUI, zero setup—works instantly in terminal workflows
- Open-source and developer-centric for sysadmins, devs, and data hackers
Discussion Link, Original Link
Clone of a Macintosh-Like Computer with a Built-In Basic Interpreter [Consumer Tech]
3 points, 0 comments
Macintosh-like computer clone with a built-in BASIC interpreter.
- Macintosh-like design
- Built-in BASIC interpreter
- Retro computing experience
Discussion Link, Original Link
Discover Fast-Growing Websites Before They Go Mainstream [Business]
3 points, 2 comments
A tool to discover fast-growing websites before they become mainstream.
- Identifies breakout websites early
- Provides estimated traffic growth and keyword insights
- Offers competitor comparison
- Features monthly rankings of fastest-growing sites
Discussion Link, Original Link
Conversational Companion with realistic mood state machine [ChatBots]
3 points, 0 comments
Conversational Companion with a realistic mood state machine.
- Simulates human-like mood changes
- Engages in dynamic, context-aware conversations
- Uses a state machine to model emotional responses
Discussion Link, Original Link
A collection of generic header only data structures written in C [Developer Tools]
3 points, 0 comments
A collection of generic header-only data structures implemented in C.
- Header-only implementation
- Written in C
- Generic data structures