Predict if a handwritten document has been produced by a male or a female writer ($1,000 prize)

Kaggle ^

[Flightdeck]

FreeRepublic has a rich history of document-sleuthing. With $1,000 to the winner, let's make it richer.

[afraidfortherepublic]

This will be impossible in another 10 years, now that th schools have sstopped teaching handwriting.

[Drango]

0bama’s sample is female. Biden is transgender.

[ASA Vet]

now that th schools have sstopped teaching handwriting and the proper use of the word "gender."

[Fzob]

This is simple. Girls dot their I’s with little hearts or smiley faces and boys don’t.

[blueunicorn6]

Well, it’s 50/50, unless you’re in San Francisco, so I’ll guess......male.

[GeronL]

predict? as in before you even see it?

heh

[autumnraine]

Who has time for that crap?

[dfwgator]

[JoeProBono]

[LearsFool]

There are a few studies regarding the automatic detection of the gender of a handwritten document

"Studies"? All that's needed is a study of elementary grammar. Simply look at the nouns and pronouns.

Masculine gender: he, him, his, waiter, steward, etc.

Feminine gender: she, her, hers, waitress, stewardess, etc.

Neuter gender: it, its, automobile, etc.

[ASA Vet]

I detect a kindred spirit. See post #4.

[TexasKamaAina]

I work with teenagers and people in their twenties. They don’t know how to write. They can use a keyboard and they can print, but handwriting is not a skill they were ever taught or learned.

[loungitude]

This is simple. Girls dot their I’s with little hearts or smiley faces and boys don’t.
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http://www.nytimes.com/1993/07/28/us/judge-s-optimistic-signature-on-a-grim-faced-death-row.html

[heartwood]

My handwriting looks like my father’s, especially my signature although I can write like my mother - used to forge her signature in high school.

And my children’s handwriting, the boys and the girls, is like their father’s, unfortunately.

Now am I my children’s mother or father?

[Baynative]

Us old timers remember the day when every classroom had cursive handwriting examples above the chalk board. For me that was what I doodled with when I was bored and though I was not a highly motivated student, I did have excellent penmanship.

Also, my mom always told us (back in the days of letter and note writing) that your pen was often the first impression you made on someone.

[Flightdeck]

It’s not a completely frivolous exercise. Note that the target language is Arabic. The sponsors likely want to be able to identify the gender of US-bashing drivel for profile purposes. It’s also interesting from a statistical perspective.

[Fzob]

Charles J. Hearn, a Texas state judge, has been putting a happy face on his signature for years.

I guess it takes all kinds.

[autumnraine]

HA!

[expat1000]

>>I work with teenagers and people in their twenties. They don’t know how to write. They can use a keyboard and they can print, but handwriting is not a skill they were ever taught or learned.

I must admit I can barely write myself, but my niece is entering middle school here in Thailand, not an international school, but a good, private Thai school, and they teach English cursive writing.