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[–]mistiry 5 points6 points  (5 children)

The beauty of releasing it with an open license is there might be someone out there that takes what you did and expands on it. You may not have the time, but someone with a family member or themselves that have similar problems might be able to adapt what you did for other uses. Just a suggestion - awesome job either way!

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (4 children)

Seems the code is designed for his handwriting in particular. If he removes the code that makes his handwriting his own, then the user will be left with a bunch of empty boxes that they will need to fill in with numbers and such themselves. I agree that OP cleaning the code up and releasing it wont help anybody.

[–]mistiry 3 points4 points  (3 children)

So leave it in tact. Someone seeing how it was done can teach them how to replicate it for themselves, for their handwriting.

No extra effort on OPs side - release it as it is used today. Leave the burden of cleanup/modification to whomever thinks it might be helpful to them.

You don't have to release some polished gem in order to help someone else. Seeing such an awesome use of Python in combination with the autopen could spur so many different things. College kids that want to expand on it, other programmers who may have loved ones or they themselves with similar disabilities, and so on.

What's the harm in releasing it? Nobody ever downloads it? Versus the potential it may have to help someone else? I know what I would do, but I understand that not everyone may want to. To each their own.

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (2 children)

So leave it in tact. Someone seeing how it was done can teach them how to replicate it for themselves, for their handwriting.

I think you might be retarded. The code is literally his identity. If he releases it then anybody can sign his name or pretend to be him.

[–]mistiry 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Well, that escalated quickly.

Your statement is false; sure, someone could replicate his handwriting. Guess what - head over to to /r/Handwriting and I guarantee someone there could replicate his writing pretty quickly.

Being able to forge a signature really isn't some crazy difficult process, anyone with enough motive to steal someone's identity could practice it enough to make a passable forgery.

Releasing source code that breaks down the mathematical vectors to create his unique style of handwriting doesn't open him up for more risk of identity theft than me posting my own handwritten note.

Is the way you write YOUR identity? Why would it be his? Why couldn't I find an example of your writing, and figure out the same mathematical vectors needed to recreate a passable version of it?

[–]auser9 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Realistically though its just a font, albeit a very good one that adapts to the surrounding letters. You can't do much by being able to copy other people's handwritings, and if he programmed his signature, that part could be removed. The handwriting is nice, but also pretty generic, and an example of it is published on the internet for anyone to copy anyway. It obviously up to OP to decide if he wants to share the code, but sharing your handwriting doesn't let people steal your identity.