It's the way you write it
Monday, October 11, 2004
Bruce Schneier has started a blog. I've been subscribing to his monthly newsletter for a number of years because Bruce is a master of making the arcane seem simple to understand. His field is security, ranging from cryptography and crypto-analysis through to airport check-in methods and how to lock a door(!). Since nine-eleven he has been sorely taxed by some of the more idiotic measures put in place throughout the States, supposedly in the name of security, but which actually at best contribute nothing to increase safety and at worst increase threats.
One of his latest blog entries merits a read: it highlights the threat posed by writing in Arabic. (I kid you not.)
One of his latest blog entries merits a read: it highlights the threat posed by writing in Arabic. (I kid you not.)
3 Comments:
commented by 
Anonymous, 3:25 PM
Anonymous, 3:25 PM
You're right. He should have made clear that the writing was Farsi. And I should have checked the original article! The confusion or ignorance on Schneier's part is doubly ironic given that the intention of his piece was to illustrate ignorance based on language.
Interestingly Bruce just sent me an email that states in its entirety:
"Initial news reports said Arabic, but upon later examination it was found
to be Farsi. I'll bet that few Americans know the difference."
... and looking back to his blog and newsletter it still remains arabic and not farsi.
It isn't about what he is "trying to say" it is about what he is "saying". It is all well and good he is trying to uncover the eyes of the world, but he surely cannot acheive this if the facts are wrong and he does not correct them. It really isn't about what language was discovered, it was that it was reported innacurately thus making the "point" of the argument innacurate and laughable at best.
Israel Torres
"Initial news reports said Arabic, but upon later examination it was found
to be Farsi. I'll bet that few Americans know the difference."
... and looking back to his blog and newsletter it still remains arabic and not farsi.
It isn't about what he is "trying to say" it is about what he is "saying". It is all well and good he is trying to uncover the eyes of the world, but he surely cannot acheive this if the facts are wrong and he does not correct them. It really isn't about what language was discovered, it was that it was reported innacurately thus making the "point" of the argument innacurate and laughable at best.
Israel Torres
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2004/10/disrupting_air.html
... and he just balls them up into the same thing. (even though the article he references makes no mention of Arabic writing). I sent him an email when he published October's Cryptogram and no fixes as of yet.
Israel Torres