On Sat, 26 Apr 2003, Major Variola (ret) wrote:
But seriously, you've just mentioned what's called "textual analysis". Spelling errors and other idiosyncratic choices can be used to "pierce the veil" of anonymity. That's what did in Dr. Kaczynski, who pissed on the FBI for over a decade, until his brother recognized his text.
Couldn't there be a standard English-based language, "Anonglish", with a subset of English grammatical rules, human-readable (though maybe with its own idiosyncrazies) and machine-parseable, which appearance would not give many more clues than that Anonglish was used? Something where grammar rules would be few, strict, and easy to machine-check, spelling as well, and still be readable to anyone who knows "standard" English? Possibly with a "translator" from "normal" English (of course with the necessity to read the translation, correct eventual semantical mistakes introduced by rearranging the words, and "anonspell-check" the result)? That would put textual analysis from comparing the errors characteristic for a given person to comparing of trains of thoughts, which is much more difficult, much less being a "reliable proof", and practically impossible for very short messages.