1993-12-12 - “Cipher”
Header Data
From: hughes@ah.com (Eric Hughes)
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Message Hash: 32a1fded2d4d23c2a9826628a0d37598bfab2c9494842ec3ed04be2d0fcf73dc
Message ID: <9312121816.AA13165@ah.com>
Reply To: <Pine.3.87.9312111505.A16266-0100000@crl.crl.com>
UTC Datetime: 1993-12-12 18:27:22 UTC
Raw Date: Sun, 12 Dec 93 10:27:22 PST
Raw message
From: hughes@ah.com (Eric Hughes)
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 93 10:27:22 PST
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: "Cipher"
In-Reply-To: <Pine.3.87.9312111505.A16266-0100000@crl.crl.com>
Message-ID: <9312121816.AA13165@ah.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain
> Neil Postman, in his *Technopoly*, asserts that the word "cipher" derives
>ultimately from the Hindu word for void, and therefore "suggests the idea
>of nothingness." (p 128) Does anyone else have info on the origin of this
>word? Is Postman correct?
The use of the word 'cipher' as 'zero', both for a number and for a
loser, has only fairly recently fallen out of general use. I've seen
references to the word in works from the 50's and 60's where is use
was not meant as an obscuring device.
The use of 'cipher' in 'ciphertext' has this same connotation, that
the text says nothing, that is, by itself.
Eric
Thread
Return to December 1993
- Return to “adam fast <adamfast@u.washington.edu>”
- Return to “adwestro@ouray.Denver.Colorado.EDU (Alan Westrope)”
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Return to “hughes@ah.com (Eric Hughes)”
- 1993-12-11 (Sat, 11 Dec 93 15:37:06 PST) - “Cipher” - Arthur Chandler <arthurc@crl.com>
- 1993-12-12 (Sat, 11 Dec 93 17:12:08 PST) - Re: “Cipher” - adam fast <adamfast@u.washington.edu>
- 1993-12-12 (Sun, 12 Dec 93 07:27:19 PST) - Re: “Cipher” - adwestro@ouray.Denver.Colorado.EDU (Alan Westrope)
- 1993-12-12 (Sun, 12 Dec 93 10:27:22 PST) - “Cipher” - hughes@ah.com (Eric Hughes)