unforum

[Stormalong]

Bruce Schneier's Handwritten Real-World Cryptogram

[catherwood]

Re: Bruce Schneier's Handwritten Real-World Cryptogram

[Rusty]

Hmm...see, things like this...they have legit aspects, but they could link to an ARG. Hmm...Hm Hm Hm. Well, this is in the middle of the line dividing ARG territory and just a Real Thing. But the email. Now the fact that they are ressurecting something 2 years old suggest ARG...I'll have to get involved.

-Rusty[/strike]

[GuyP]

Catch-22: If it's real, I feel a bit awkward getting involved. If it's something ARGy, I find it rather tasteless on the PM's part.

[dmon_man]

Sick

[medioxcore]

white out?

[Nos]

Anyone else get the feeling that once this is decoded, it'll lead to an email addy or website addy?

Good luck guys, this one is WAY over my head.


*gets out the munchies and settles in to watch*

[hamatoyoshi]

This just got BoingBoing'd, and I figured you guys would be on it...

I notice somebody links to further information from the Boston Globe in the comments. The thing is, the mention of the note in the Globe article doesn't make any mention that it's bizarrely encrypted as one would think it might.

In any case, the writing feels strikingly familiar to something writing related that I can't quite remember. I'm thinking it might've been a Native American alphabet or some sort of cipher that has to do with an object's position to the horizon?

[aliendial]

Skimming the comments on Schneier's blog, note a few things:

As several of the commenters on the blog observed - there are a couple of links to real news articles about the murder and none mention a cryptogram. (Or any of the other stuff at the crime scene that the sender later mentions were found there.) The articles mention a short suicide note the police were able to read. There is no evidence this cryptogram has anything to do with it. Could just be a hoax with an exploitative hook.

How creepy is is that the purported sender then shows up in the comment list and starts chatting about it and throws more crap on the fire - references to child porn and undisclosed schizophrenia - and when some skepticism is still apparent, the bereaved daughter (like nobody else could create an account with that name) shows up to say thanks too.

Schneier seems to believe in it. His commenters who are taking it somewhat seriously are circling around "it's just a list of password hints".

I vote with the skeptics for now.

[ustice]

I say a puzzle is a puzzle. If its real, awesome, maybe we can actually help someone in real life. If not it should be fun anyway. Now, the game's afoot!