Why link to an article with almost no information instead of the original, informative WSJ article (which is linked on the page)?

Because some yahoo submitted the good WSJ link with a crummy headline that had no chance, and I'm not wiley enough to figure out how to get the WSJ link to work now. :)

I hate when that happens.

Nicholas Cage must be pissed.

Did you mean: mathematician

I'm a SPELLMATICIAN!

Asa Phelps: Nicholas Cage must be pissed.

Are you kidding?! He's THRILLED! Natioonal Treasure III, here we come!

North Korea is attacking Hawaii this weekend.

Geologist: Because some yahoo submitted the good WSJ link with a crummy headline that had no chance, and I'm not wiley enough to figure out how to get the WSJ link to work now. :)

just put a question mark after the link's url followed by a word/random keystrokes/whatever

Be sure to drink your Ovaltine.

erveek: Be sure to drink your Ovaltine.

Dang, beat me to it!

/Son of a biatch, it's a commercial!

But I still want the treasure!!!

It used to be that people looked to leaders with intellectually curious minds like Jefferson's.

Now its better if that they are not part of that heathen "ivory tower" and more like real 'muricans.

FTA "In Congress, July Fourth, one thousand seven hundred and seventy six. A declaration by the Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled. When in the course of human events..."

It seems like everything Jefferson tried to keep secret stayed secret for 200 years. Smart dude. Nixon didn't even manage 8 years.

RemyDuron: It seems like everything Jefferson tried to keep secret stayed secret for 200 years. Smart dude. Nixon didn't even manage 8 years.

If I had read the article first, I would have known it was not Jefferson who had an encrypted message, but his friend Patterson. Huh. . .

I once solved a straight substitution cipher in high school. A friend gave it to me as a challenge. I solved it significantly faster than others, but it still had spaces so it was easy. Just look for single letter words, they're either "i" or "a". Real cryptography confuses the hell out of me.

Boy, do I feel like a dumb waiter.

Elohay, Homastay Effersonjay. Imay ewnay odecay unreakablebay.

The problem with this cipher is that it was only hard to decode because no one knew the encryption methodology. However, in order to be a usable encryption method, the general methodology would have to be known and not secret. Given the key and plain text as the only unknown (as if this cipher become actually used), the cipher would be cracked in a matter of seconds on today's computers, simply by brute force.

Anyone doing cryptography before the advent of computers is at a severe disadvantage. Most cryptography is based on the concept of computational security, basically meaning that a brute force attack is infeasible. However, what is feasible keeps increasing along with computer speeds.

1249897 155617, 110618 120377

/good luck
//the comma is punctuation
///not really a hard cypher

It's a sled! Rosebud was the name of his sled!

There, I just saved you two boobless hours.

mamoru: 1249897 155617, 110618 120377

/good luck
//the comma is punctuation
///not really a hard cypher

Abdihig aeegaf, aa0fah ab0cgg!

I'm reading Neal Stephenson's Cryptonomicon, so I'm really getting a kick out of these replies...

(yeah, I'm way behind the times...)

holiday_inn_in_cambodia: Abdihig aeegaf, aa0fah ab0cgg!

well... it's a bit harder than that, I guess. But, "Abdihig aeegaf, aa0fah ab0cgg!" to you to, buddy! :p

mamoru: holiday_inn_in_cambodia: Abdihig aeegaf, aa0fah ab0cgg!

well... it's a bit harder than that, I guess. But, "Abdihig aeegaf, aa0fah ab0cgg!" to you to, buddy! :p

I type 100 words a minute but it's in my own language

holiday_inn_in_cambodia: I type 100 words a minute but it's in my own language


Do you have your own words? Personally, I'm using the ones that everyone else has been using. Next time they tell you to say something in your own words, say, "Nigflot blorny quando floon."

Be sure to drink your Ovaltine.

GIS for "be sure to drink your ovaltine":



/What has science done?

Software2: GIS for "be sure to drink your ovaltine":



/What have science drugs done?

ftfy

erveek: Be sure to drink your Ovaltine.

Came here for this.

davideggy: The problem with this cipher is that it was only hard to decode because no one knew the encryption methodology. However, in order to be a usable encryption method, the general methodology would have to be known and not secret. Given the key and plain text as the only unknown (as if this cipher become actually used), the cipher would be cracked in a matter of seconds on today's computers, simply by brute force.

Anyone doing cryptography before the advent of computers is at a severe disadvantage. Most cryptography is based on the concept of computational security, basically meaning that a brute force attack is infeasible. However, what is feasible keeps increasing along with computer speeds.

Uh, according to the article the methodology was explained in the letter, and Jefferson was actually interested in using it for sensitive government communication.

Sarah Jessica Farker: I'm reading Neal Stephenson's Cryptonomicon, so I'm really getting a kick out of these replies...

(yeah, I'm way behind the times...)

Do yourself a favor and stay behind the times. He only goes downhill after Cryptonomicon.

Stradavus: erveek: Be sure to drink your Ovaltine.

Came here for this.

Software2

But not that.

mamoru: 1249897 155617, 110618 120377

/good luck
//the comma is punctuation
///not really a hard cypher

Penis.

/what do I win?

This a metaphor for what is to come using growing computer power. WE are cracking the very genome of life. Heady times...

bartink: This a metaphor for what is to come using growing computer power. WE are cracking the very genome of life. Heady times...

There's no encryption to genetic material. All you have to do is read it.
But to do that you need science. Do I need to show you again what science can do?

bartink: mamoru: 1249897 155617, 110618 120377

/good luck
//the comma is punctuation
///not really a hard cypher

Penis.

/what do I win?

You mean:
Pe,nis

"dynamic programming" don't you mean recursion ?

Broz_Tito: "dynamic programming" don't you mean recursion ?

Not necessarily. . .

/Although it sounds like a buzzword, it apparently isn't one.

bartink: /what do I win?

An F in my math class. My 7th grade math students could crack this code.

Try factoring.

Geologist: Because some yahoo submitted the good WSJ link with a crummy headline that had no chance, and I'm not wiley enough to figure out how to get the WSJ link to work now. :)

For future reference (Cool article, btw), the querystring is your friend.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124648494429082661.html?myheadline=betterthanyo u

is going to work just fine unless WSJ.com is expecting a variable (technically a request object, but I'm keepin' it simple, so STFU pedant coders) called "myheadline".

You'll often see links that end in ?fark and the like to get past good articles submitted with terrible headlines

House of Tards: For future reference

Sigh... you do realize that by posting that in a comment (instead of using an @UltraFark.com email), you've increased the odds that Mike will finally have to get off his besozzled ass to do something about that loophole?

Subby: mathmatician


/cuz you haven't gotten enough crap already

What a hippie may look like:

Do yourself a favor and stay behind the times. He only goes downhill after Cryptonomicon.

The Baroque Cycle may be his best (although I looved Cryptonomicon). He actually figured out how to have an ending!

jondiced: Subby: mathmatician


/cuz you haven't gotten enough crap already

Is it sad that I noticed right away that there was no letter E in that?

Tjos Weel: Do yourself a favor and stay behind the times. He only goes downhill after Cryptonomicon.

The Baroque Cycle may be his best (although I looved Cryptonomicon). He actually figured out how to have an ending!

I agree. If it's not Baroque, don't fix it...

...

...

I'm leaving now

Jefferson was a hacker. I knew it.