[Posting style] Re: [extropy-chat] Encryption revolution

[Max M]

Giu1i0 Pri5c0 wrote:

I have purposedly copied the entire content of the posting. But cannot 
bring myself to top-post. So please read on at the bottom.


>>From 2theadvocate.com: After 20 years of research, an encryption process is
> emerging that is considered unbreakable because it employs the mind-blowing
> laws of quantum physics. In November, a small startup called MagiQ
> Technologies Inc. began selling what appears to be the first commercially
> available system that uses individual photons to transfer the numeric keys
> that are widely used to encode and read secret documents.
> MagiQ (pronounced "magic," with the "Q" for "quantum") expects this will
> appeal to banks, insurers, government agencies, pharmaceutical companies and
> other organizations that transmit sensitive information. "We think this is
> going to have a huge, positive impact on the world," said Bob Gelfond,
> MagiQ's founder and chief executive. Encryption schemes commonly used now
> are considered safe, though they theoretically could be broken someday. But
> even before that day arrives, Gelfond believes quantum encryption is
> superior in one important way. In some super-high-security settings, people
> sharing passwords and other information must have the same key, a massive
> string of digits used to encode data. Sometimes the keys will be transferred
> by imperfect means -- via courier or special software. They are not changed
> very often and can be susceptible to interception.
> Quantum encryption employs one of the defining discoveries of physics:
> Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle, which says subatomic particles exist in
> multiple possible states at once, however hard as that may be to imagine,
> until something interacts with them.

I have noticed that some posters post massive blocks of text, as the 
above. (Giu1i0 this is not personal) Being a web designer and usability 
geek I have long wanted to say something about it.

The shape of the text makes it easier to scan/read a big block of text. 
A big square lump of text like the above is *very* difficult to read. 
The overall graphic layout of the text doesn't give me any landmarks 
that I can use for orientation.

So if I read the text and loose my orientation, I have to re-read 
several lines to find it again.


Usually if a text looks like above, I don't bother reading it. I am 
shure that many other reacts likewise.

Having a massive block of text also makes it difficult to reply to a 
specific point in the text. The newsreader will allredy have placed 
quotemarks in irritating places.

So generally it is better to split up a text in related paragraphs.


I have some links about it here
-------------------------------
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9703b.html
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9710a.html


And a link for writing better email subjects
--------------------------------------------
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/980906.html

That is generally not a big problem on this list, but imagine having to 
scan through the archives a few years down, trying to find a particular 
posting. Then you really appreciate a really clear subject.


I have tried to reformat the posting at the bottom of this page, to show 
what I mean.


regards Max M Rasmussen, Denmark


##################################

 >From 2theadvocate.com:

After 20 years of research, an encryption process is emerging that is 
considered unbreakable because it employs the mind-blowing laws of 
quantum physics.

In November, a small startup called MagiQ Technologies Inc. began 
selling what appears to be the first commercially available system that 
uses individual photons to transfer the numeric keys that are widely 
used to encode and read secret documents.

MagiQ (pronounced "magic," with the "Q" for "quantum") expects this will 
appeal to banks, insurers, government agencies, pharmaceutical companies 
and other organizations that transmit sensitive information. "We think 
this is going to have a huge, positive impact on the world," said Bob 
Gelfond, MagiQ's founder and chief executive.

Encryption schemes commonly used now are considered safe, though they 
theoretically could be broken someday. But even before that day arrives, 
Gelfond believes quantum encryption is superior in one important way.

In some super-high-security settings, people sharing passwords and other 
information must have the same key, a massive string of digits used to 
encode data. Sometimes the keys will be transferred by imperfect means 
-- via courier or special software. They are not changed very often and 
can be susceptible to interception.

Quantum encryption employs one of the defining discoveries of physics: 
Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle, which says subatomic particles exist 
in multiple possible states at once, however hard as that may be to 
imagine, until something interacts with them.