Selling numbered rocks, you get whatever's next in sequence | Hacker News Reader

Selling numbered rocks, you get whatever's next in sequence

weight.rocks

78 pointscloudmanager59 comments

Are those pet rocks or wild rocks? Are they homebroken? Can they be a home rock as I won't be able to take them for walks daily.

Feral (judging by the one in the photo).

I'm starting a rock sitting business. Our highly trained staff can look after your rocks while you are out.

What stack are you running? How do you guarantee sequential consistency of order numbers across your app server regions, cache layers and data lakehouse?

Thanks for asking, we're using AWS Bedrock to handle all that

https://aws.amazon.com/bedrock/

Removing choice is fine, but people will want to know what number they'll get if they order right now. Even if you can't or won't show the next rock, show the next number.

That's actually kinda hard, no?

Say the server has a counter. When you load the page, it's at 57, so it displays that you would be ordering #57. While you're looking at this, someone else loads the page - what number do you show them? If you show 57, then whoever orders first gets it and the other person gets a message "Sorry, not available. Want 58 instead?" but the same thing could then happen to them with #58, too – "Sorry, not available. Want 59 instead?"

So maybe instead you show the 2nd person counter+1, i.e. 58. And you show the 3rd person counter+2, i.e. 59. But what if #59 purchases but 57 and 58 don't? What do you show the NEXT person, 57 or 60?

I'm not saying it's intractable but it merits thought.

Maybe just show the last purchased number? Then it’s a race to get your order in if you want the next sequential number.

The solution is to hide deep into the Terms of Service "Duplicate numbers may occur. You reserve the right to be sued if you complain."

Exactly why we kept it simple. You find out your number when it ships.

What guarantee is there against transit hash collisions?

When two rocks are ordered, several rocks arrive, some with no ID numbers, others with IDs that match previously issued rocks?

IIRC many websites (e.g. for buying concert tickets) have a lock mechanism where you have X amount of time to make your purchase during which time only a limited number of people can be in the checkout process.

We're avoiding any reservation or lock mechanisms entirely. Starting November 1, the site will display 'Most recent fulfillment: Rock #000047' to show systematic progress, but this creates no guarantee for future purchases.

Sequential assignment follows strict order of payment completion only. No race conditions, no held inventory, no time windows. You either complete the transaction and receive the next sequential number, or you don't.

The constraint is designed to eliminate the entire apparatus of purchase optimization, including queue management systems.

Heads up: I purchased the first seven already.

It is great they are documenting each rock. I would hate to get a forgery.

Like physical EtherRocks[0]. Do will also come with a digital certificate that can be transfered online?

[0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/EtherRock

Physical version, no blockchain needed.

I was going to make a joke about NFTs but it seems like reality beat me to it.

I need unnumbered rocks. Can you remove the numbering?

What are you, some kind of quarry robber?

Rocks are not physically modified. Sequential numbering exists in our documentation system only - reflected on the Certificate of Authenticity and archive database. The rocks themselves remain in their natural state.

But they are still numbered.

Correct - the rocks are numbered but the number is not physically on the surface of the rock. Sequential assignment exists in our documentation system only - reflected on the Certificate of Authenticity and archive database. The rocks remain in their natural state. We have no plans to launch an un-numbered version of weight.rocks

This will pair very well with my Anthropologie rock.

Are the rocks ethically sourced?

Good point.

“All park resources are protected so that all visitors may enjoy them. It is against the law to remove any of the natural (petrified wood, other rocks, plants, animals) or cultural resources (pottery pieces, arrowheads, Route 66 debris), including picking flowers.”

https://www.nps.gov/pefo/faqs.htm

All rocks sourced from private property and licensed commercial operations. No collection from public or protected lands.

~That's a good way to launder money.~

Err, tumble money. Err, that's a good internet gag.

Is this a commentary on NFTs?

It's funny you ask, I had this exact idea back during the NFT craze. I have an unlimited supply of rocks thanks to the creek in my back yard. Well not unlimited, but there are more rocks back there than people willing to buy them as a joke.

What kind of scam is this?

Same kind as the Pet Rock, but worse because it's 2025.

$50 for a rock is outrageous. I would hope that it at least comes with a cool sticker, then I would be willing to accept it.

I agree - even adjusting for inflation the original Pet Rock [1] wouldn't have cost more than about $25. /s

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pet_Rock

$49.99

Yeah but where is the blog post about bootstrapping webscale rocks from the ground up? Where are the growth hacks? This could be a tectonic shift in the startup ecosystem. Watching this thread you guys rock!

Quick question... Have you considered letting customers come mine their own rocks?

Wait no IPV6 sequence? There was a dude at the 2016(?) Internet Yami Ichi Tokyo selling IPV6 numbered rocks but sadly cant find the link anymore.

Mayhe it is in here somewhere: https://yami-ichi.download/

What are your contingency plans if a hecto-billionaire suddenly orders 100 million rocks? Can you scale?

One order == one rock

Their business plan looks rock solid!

Are these organic?

Do you have a low salt version?

Is there an option for pasteurized or raw?

What about sustainable practices?

What about concerns related to gravitational change from such operations?

Is there a recycling program in place?

Do they come with an MSDS and waste disposal instructions?

What about a warranty? Isn’t that required by federal law?

Congrats on the launch!

Small suggestion - work on the semantic structure and SEO.

It's all H1 Tags as far as the eye can see!

Updated. Semantic structure now follows proper heading hierarchy. Appreciate the technical review.

I’ve bought a lot from eBay (since 1998) and the joy of buying unique items is knowing the photo is of the exact object I’m receiving. Further from this experience, I understand the appeal less and less.

What makes a $50 rock different from the one in my backyard?

Can you convince someone to buy your rock for $50?

I want to be able to choose the number. You can charge me more, that's fine!

Rock assignment follows purchase order - no reservations possible. Each order is limited to one rock. If you want multiple rocks, place separate orders, but other customers may complete purchases between yours, interrupting sequential numbering. Assignment remains systematic and cannot be influenced by preference.

This kind of objectification is stone cold.

Literal art.

You should get Twisted Sister for your marketing campaign.

Is the backend storage reliant on RocksDB?

you guys are entirely too cool. I love it. Perfect commentary after a work day full of ai adjacent nonsense.

Business model: Uber for pet rocks!

Curious, was rocks.ai not available?

Let them eat rocks

small typo: "Assignment: Assignment:"

Is nobody asking what mineral the rocks are? Are they all the same? Are there a few types of which you might get one of? Nobody cares?

Next up pumice.rocks , limestone.rocks, basalt.rocks?

Meh. Rocks are a feature, not a product.

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