From: "George A. Gleason" <gg@well.sf.ca.us>
Date: Sun, 7 Nov 93 02:02:50 PST
To: jazz@hal.com
Subject: Re:  ID of anonymous posters via word analysis?
Message-ID: <199311070959.BAA13037@well.sf.ca.us>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


I'm not so sure about translation software... apparently there is a story
about the first time this was attempted; an NSA implementation for use on
the US-USSR hot line, to speed things along in the event of a crisis.

When they opened the thing up for test, there was a diplomat at each end,
and a top military official as well.  At the US end, they typed in, "The
spirit is willing but the flesh is weak."  Then it popped out in Russian,
and was typed back in again in Russian.  What popped back out in Washington
in English was, "The ghost is ready but the meat is raw."  Back to the
proverbial drawing board.  

Presumably things have improved a bit since then, eh...?

-g