From: tcmay@netcom.com (Timothy C. May)
Date: Sun, 13 Mar 94 11:05:08 PST
To: peace@BIX.com
Subject: Re: Cypher?????
In-Reply-To: <9403131237.memo.89010@BIX.com>
Message-ID: <199403131905.LAA04318@mail.netcom.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



> wcs> Cypher gets spelled both ways, but in the cryptography world it's more
> common than cipher, probably.
> 
> Hmm.. Perhaps you could point me to a reference, I have NEVER seen it
> (mis)spelled Cypher.
> 
> Peace
> 

"Cypherpunks" is to "Cyberpunks" as "Cipherpunks" is to "Ciberpunks."

And "cypher" is a perfectly fine alternate spelling of "cipher," used
almost exclusively in Britain, and other Empire colonies. Since much
of modern crypto (I mean, "cripto") derived from British work (Turing,
Colossus, Bletchley Park, Enigma), a kind of homage.

Consult any dictionary before saying you have "NEVER" seen it
"(mis)spelled" that way.

The first reason, the resonance with cyberpunks, was clearly the main
reason Jude Milhon ("St. Jude" of "Mondo 2000") quipped: "You guys are
just a bunch of cypherpunks." The name stuck.


--Tim May

-- 
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