Post by AncientBrit on Jul 19, 2005 7:09:08 GMT -5
Howdy
Insomnia scores another hit, so I may as well do something constructive instead of just lying here contemplating my navel.
I guess my interest in cryptography probably began before I was 15. My late father, who served during and after WWII in first the RAF (not sure of his rank, but in Transport Command - crash landed at White Waltham and was eventually invalided out of the RAF) and then the RN (as a Petty Officer in Communications, serving in India, I think) had an interest and encouraged me in mine.
He helped me set up a sort of club (hugely amateurish) which we titled CODEC (for COding and DECoding) and I got a few friends interested, and it seemed to be going OK until it crashed and burned.
Why? Because some moron got wind of it, stole a membership card which was then passed to a particularly vindictive teacher at my school, who then proceeded to publicly humiliate me in front of the whole class as he "investigated" the secret society I had apparently created. Berk.
So I dropped my interest for a while, but from time to time I would delve (it's nice having a good delve from time to time and satisfy an urge now and then (it's nice to... etc).
My interest was piqued again recently when I saw details of the Elgar (Dorabella) Cipher on another forum (posted by Skatha as it happens) followed by an article in New Scientist.
From time to time I like to switch on the old cranium and let it buzz and whirr and see what comes out the other end.
No great insights yet, but I enjoy the challenge, even if I don't get to work on it as often as I like (it's nice to...etc).
Time to get some tea, I think, and maybe try and catch 15 minutes of Zzzzs to prepare myself for another confusing day on a new contract (another challenge).
Insomnia scores another hit, so I may as well do something constructive instead of just lying here contemplating my navel.
I guess my interest in cryptography probably began before I was 15. My late father, who served during and after WWII in first the RAF (not sure of his rank, but in Transport Command - crash landed at White Waltham and was eventually invalided out of the RAF) and then the RN (as a Petty Officer in Communications, serving in India, I think) had an interest and encouraged me in mine.
He helped me set up a sort of club (hugely amateurish) which we titled CODEC (for COding and DECoding) and I got a few friends interested, and it seemed to be going OK until it crashed and burned.
Why? Because some moron got wind of it, stole a membership card which was then passed to a particularly vindictive teacher at my school, who then proceeded to publicly humiliate me in front of the whole class as he "investigated" the secret society I had apparently created. Berk.
So I dropped my interest for a while, but from time to time I would delve (it's nice having a good delve from time to time and satisfy an urge now and then (it's nice to... etc).
My interest was piqued again recently when I saw details of the Elgar (Dorabella) Cipher on another forum (posted by Skatha as it happens) followed by an article in New Scientist.
From time to time I like to switch on the old cranium and let it buzz and whirr and see what comes out the other end.
No great insights yet, but I enjoy the challenge, even if I don't get to work on it as often as I like (it's nice to...etc).
Time to get some tea, I think, and maybe try and catch 15 minutes of Zzzzs to prepare myself for another confusing day on a new contract (another challenge).