Show HN: Tasker – An open-source desktop agent for browser and OS automation

Tasker promises an open‑source, “automate anything” desktop helper that records your clicks or lets you describe tasks in plain English while keeping everything on your machine. But the launch instantly met the Hacker News hug of death, with one user groaning they couldn’t even load the site. Cue the comedy: another commenter asked if the founder’s “meltdown” meant their marriage survived, while a naming brawl broke out over the existing Android app called Tasker, complete with a link to the original Tasker for Android. “You can’t call this Tasker,” snapped one voice, and the brand‑beef memes basically wrote themselves.

Then came the privacy cross‑examination. Tasker touts “Your data never leaves your computer,” but skeptics pounced, asking if it actually depends on cloud AI services like Google, Anthropic, or OpenAI. The pricing—free if you bring your own API keys, or $15/month for a built‑in model—only fueled questions about what’s truly local. Meanwhile, the cautious crowd raised safety alarms: desktop agents can click the wrong thing and nuke a file. One thoughtful commenter pressed for guardrails like sandboxed paths, network allowlists, and dry‑run mode. Fans still love the idea of saving hours on Salesforce and LinkedIn, but the vibe is half hype, half “is this really safe and private?”—and 100% spicy internet drama.