Cypher
We are constantly deciphering the world around us; analyzing and interpreting anything and everything we come in contact with to find the meaning in it. Cyphers are what we unravel, a series of symbols that create a message, and often appear in secret methods of writing. This method of writing could be used in a mathematical equation, a computer code, an encoded message smuggled between Allies during WWII or, as is pointed out in Gramophone, Film and Typewriter, simply tapped out on a typewriter. If the enciphered version of a message is a translated, altered version of the original it begs the question: how much of the message is lost in the encryption? Decoding the message can be as complex as using a cipher wheel or as simple as reading a printed page. In either case; is it possible for the message to remain wholly and completely intact?
In the case of typewriters, for example, the literal meaning of the author’s words is converted, the sentence structure and syntax remains constant, but the author’s personality can no longer shine through the handwriting. A lot of information about someone can be derived from examine their handwriting, which is why forensic scientists often use handwriting analysis for profiling. How important is the part of a message that is derived from the writer’s connection to the paper? Is this element lost when the letters are mechanically encrypted by a typewriter or keyboard? Does it even matter, as long as the actual words themselves are transcribed?
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