Re: State machine hypothesis...

[Nick Pelling <incoming@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Dennis,

>         ISTR that Strong's hypothesis was that the VMs cipher
> changed at each gallows character.

Very interesting! Does anyone know in whose private collection Strong's 
notes are (item 28 on Jim Reeds' bibliography page)?

>         Glen Caston and Rayman Maleki were part of the
> secessionist faction that left the list because they
> were certain that Leonell Strong's preliminary work was
> the answer and that the other list members were idiots
> not to agree.

:-((   Nick's new aphorism of the day: "Tolerance is the engine oil of 
collaboration". Is anyone here still in contact with either Glen or Rayman?

>         That's just as well.  We've got fresh, independent
> thinking here, which is what we need, not already
> discredited bulls**t.  Let new thinking proceed along
> new lines.

IMO, the biggest problem with the VMS is that it's relatively easy to 
construct statistics either to support or to discredit any given theory. 
The SMH is just one hypothesis of many: I would be delighted if *any* of 
them were to be proved true - until then, we should be open to them all. :-|

Thanks, .....Nick Pelling.....