IdeaWell

Project ideas from Hacker News discussions.

Growing up in “404 Not Found”: China's nuclear city in the Gobi Desert

Original Article

Hacker News Discussion

📝 Discussion Summary (Click to expand)

1. Fascination with the Unique Memoir

Users praised the engaging, vivid storytelling of life in a secret nuclear city, eagerly awaiting sequels.
"This is really fascinating." – nrhrjrjrjtntbt
"Very interesting, thank you." – hermitcrab
"Well written, and interesting." – tgv

2. Curiosity About Secrecy, History, and Privileges

Many asked about security measures, location, elite perks, and historical events like the Great Famine or Cultural Revolution.
"What a great read, thank you!" – grumbelbart (on code name)
"Was there anything you can recall that 404 maybe had but the rest of China might not have?" – moffers
"I'd be very interested to hear any thoughts you might have about Jung Chang's book 'Wild Swans'." – ocfnash

3. Skepticism on Authenticity and AI Use

Doubts arose over fabrication, unverifiable claims, and OP's admitted AI translation, seen as robotic or suspicious.
"Something about this feels off. Anyone else?" – saltwatercowboy
"I smell cooked." – zizon
"Keyframe: What's the deal with AI here in the comments?" – Keyframe

🚀 Project Ideas

Bilingual Story Vault

Summary

  • A web platform for non-native English speakers to share personal memoirs with side-by-side original language text and translations, solving the pain of AI-generated "slop" that erodes trust and authenticity in discussions like this HN thread.
  • Core value: Enables authentic cross-cultural storytelling without LLM hallucinations, fostering genuine engagement.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Non-native HN posters sharing memoirs (e.g., Chinese diaspora), history enthusiasts
Core Feature Upload original + machine/human translation; community voting on best versions; threaded discussions per story
Tech Stack React/Next.js frontend, PostgreSQL backend, DeepL/Google Translate API integration, Elasticsearch for search
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue-ready: Freemium (basic free, premium for advanced editing/export)

Notes

  • HN users crave originals: "I would like to read the original Chinese version" (thrdbndndn); "post the original as well" (arjie); combats "AI味的文字" complaints.
  • High discussion potential on HN for rare first-hand accounts; utility for researchers like thenthenthen studying 404 for 10 years.

Translation Authenticity Scanner

Summary

  • Browser extension and web tool that analyzes text for LLM hallmarks (e.g., repetitive phrasing, politeness fillers) vs. machine translation or human writing, addressing suspicions of fabrication in OP's AI-translated comments and story.
  • Core value: Quick authenticity scores restore trust in non-native posts, flagging "robotic" output before submission.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience HN commenters, non-native writers, forum moderators
Core Feature Paste/URL scan with score (0-100% human-like), suggestions for fixes, comparison to originals via plagiarism check
Tech Stack Chrome extension (JavaScript), backend with Hugging Face transformers for stylometry, OpenAI moderation API
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Hobby

Notes

  • Directly solves "AI slop" frustration: "the faux polite, irritating tone of the AI" (the_af); "use actual machine translation systems, not generative AI" (wizzwizz4).
  • Sparks HN debates on AI ethics; practical for verifying posts like Vincent_Yan404's, reducing witch-hunts.

Closed Cities Archive

Summary

  • Interactive database and map of global closed cities (e.g., Factory 404, Hanford) with declassified docs, user-submitted stories, and coordinates, filling the gap in accessible info for secret nuclear sites discussed here.
  • Core value: Central hub for exploring "unmet needs" like locations ("where exactly is this city?" - quakeguy) and histories.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience History buffs, nuclear enthusiasts, HN users curious about 404 analogs
Core Feature Google Maps integration with pins, timelines, story uploads with verification badges, search by code/name
Tech Stack Leaflet.js for maps, Supabase for DB/user auth, Next.js, Wikipedia API for seeding data
Difficulty Low
Monetization Revenue-ready: Donations + premium maps exports

Notes

  • HN loves specifics: "What were some other code numbers?" (crazygringo); coords shared manually (lamel, yorwba); ties to "similar places" like 816 Plant (gaoryrt).
  • Utility for researchers; viral potential with OP's Part 2, generating threads on secrecy vs. openness.

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