Reading the Mail at 300 Baud

(5)

Was I right about that? I'll never know. I did my duty and informed the government about my creation and even sent them a sample Word Salad diskette. They replied, thanking me for the information, but did not seem to be very interested in the details of my system. I suspect that the system was virtually unbreakable if used in 'one time mode' but that once the encryption mechanism was known it was a fairly easy 'break' using NSA computers. I tried to generate local interest in the system at the time by pitching it to BBS operators as a private way for their members to communicate; however they preferred to ignore it. I think they liked to read the mail. My system would have left them in the uncomfortable position of being mere postpersons, unable to open the envelopes.

Nowadays encryption is routine, but I think of myself as a sort of pioneer in that respect.