Comments on: Of Secret Codes, Abbreviations, and Knowledge Lost and Gained http://blog.thehenryford.org/2009/05/27/of-secret-codes-abbreviations-and-knowledge-lost-and-gained/ Offical blog of The Henry Ford Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:33:36 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Nathan and his Open Ideals » ITP2800 – Week 3 – Nathan’s Story, Secret Videos and Student Proposals http://blog.thehenryford.org/2009/05/27/of-secret-codes-abbreviations-and-knowledge-lost-and-gained/#comment-392 Nathan and his Open Ideals » ITP2800 – Week 3 – Nathan’s Story, Secret Videos and Student Proposals Fri, 25 Sep 2009 06:28:06 +0000 http://thehenryford.wordpress.com/?p=28#comment-392 [...] “Of Secret Codes, Abbreviations, and Knowledge Lost and Gained” http://blog.thehenryford.org/2009/05/27/of-secret-codes-abbreviations-and-knowledge-lost-and-gained/ [...] [...] “Of Secret Codes, Abbreviations, and Knowledge Lost and Gained” http://blog.thehenryford.org/2009/05/27/of-secret-codes-abbreviations-and-knowledge-lost-and-gained/ [...]

]]> By: links for 2009-08-24 | Nathan and his Open Ideals http://blog.thehenryford.org/2009/05/27/of-secret-codes-abbreviations-and-knowledge-lost-and-gained/#comment-239 links for 2009-08-24 | Nathan and his Open Ideals Mon, 24 Aug 2009 16:03:01 +0000 http://thehenryford.wordpress.com/?p=28#comment-239 [...] Of Secret Codes, Abbreviations, and Knowledge Lost and Gained « The Henry Ford Blog It turned out that what I had instead was a commercial telegraphic code. From the 19th through the mid-20th centuries, telegrams were integral to business and personal communications. Telegraph codes proliferated as a way to correspond economically and privately. Readily available code books such as the ABC Universal Commercial Electric Telegraph Code, not to mention many others, were published, with many businesses creating in-house codes. According to telegraphy historian-enthusiast John McVey, “Thousands of codes were published or issued privately, but they are largely forgotten now. They present a finely-grained window into their respective domains and their time. And they provide instances of sometimes stunning visual, technical, lexicographic and unwitting poetic achievement.” (tags: language telegraph) Share and Enjoy: [...] [...] Of Secret Codes, Abbreviations, and Knowledge Lost and Gained « The Henry Ford Blog It turned out that what I had instead was a commercial telegraphic code. From the 19th through the mid-20th centuries, telegrams were integral to business and personal communications. Telegraph codes proliferated as a way to correspond economically and privately. Readily available code books such as the ABC Universal Commercial Electric Telegraph Code, not to mention many others, were published, with many businesses creating in-house codes. According to telegraphy historian-enthusiast John McVey, “Thousands of codes were published or issued privately, but they are largely forgotten now. They present a finely-grained window into their respective domains and their time. And they provide instances of sometimes stunning visual, technical, lexicographic and unwitting poetic achievement.” (tags: language telegraph) Share and Enjoy: [...]

]]> By: Edward Vielmetti http://blog.thehenryford.org/2009/05/27/of-secret-codes-abbreviations-and-knowledge-lost-and-gained/#comment-34 Edward Vielmetti Thu, 04 Jun 2009 03:41:01 +0000 http://thehenryford.wordpress.com/?p=28#comment-34 Telegraphic codes persisted a long time - there is a lovely poem in the Atlantic http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200505/bradfield about the code used in the Australian Antarctic research expeditions as late as 1961, where transmissions were in Morse over terrible radio conditions. the first part reads Compressed for Morse, compressed to better the odds this first, flimsy signal might send sense across ocean unbroken, I type just WYSSA, which you know means all my love, darling in this telegraph of foreseen longing. Telegraphic codes persisted a long time – there is a lovely poem in the Atlantic

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200505/bradfield

about the code used in the Australian Antarctic research expeditions as late as 1961, where transmissions were in Morse over terrible radio conditions. the first part reads

Compressed for Morse, compressed to better the odds
this first, flimsy signal might send sense across ocean
unbroken, I type just WYSSA, which you know means
all my love, darling in this telegraph of foreseen
longing.

]]> By: John McVey http://blog.thehenryford.org/2009/05/27/of-secret-codes-abbreviations-and-knowledge-lost-and-gained/#comment-31 John McVey Tue, 02 Jun 2009 01:28:58 +0000 http://thehenryford.wordpress.com/?p=28#comment-31 I might add that published codes tended to leave blank or "skeleton" sections, in which code words had no phrases printed next to them. These blank sections typically were at the back of the book, but might also be distributed here and there throughout its length. But I suspect you're right in this case, that this code was abandoned. I might add that published codes tended to leave blank or “skeleton” sections, in which code words had no phrases printed next to them. These blank sections typically were at the back of the book, but might also be distributed here and there throughout its length. But I suspect you’re right in this case, that this code was abandoned.

]]> By: John McVey http://blog.thehenryford.org/2009/05/27/of-secret-codes-abbreviations-and-knowledge-lost-and-gained/#comment-30 John McVey Tue, 02 Jun 2009 01:24:45 +0000 http://thehenryford.wordpress.com/?p=28#comment-30 Thanks for posting this. There would have been telegraphic codes for supply of automobiles and particularly parts. Their main purpose would have been economy : because telegrams and especially cablegrams (via submarine cable) were priced by the word, communications could be quite expensive. Secrecy would have likely been at least as important in Liebold's case, as communications from Ford's office would have involved managemet, strategic, labor and other issues. I am surprised there are not published telegraph codes within the Ford archives; even parts lists would have incorporated codes as a matter of course. Keep digging! I've seen codes incorporated in parts lists and catalogues for GM, International Harvester, etc. The codewords shown here seem to me naive for so late a date (ca 1919). For one thing, they do not use the so-called two-letter difference rule, where every code word is at least two letters different from every other (thereby providing some protection from mutilation in transmission). Also, they're of different lengths. But the codewords interest me less than the phrases, and their organization. I wonder if what you have here is a draft to a later code. Do these sheets come with an instruction in their use? The "science" of selecting and arranging phrases is different from the science of selecting codes words, or making a "figure code." Specialists were around for both jobs, although individual business people (men and some women too) were able to crank a code in short order, e.g., for a "present emergency." It's my guess that the item you describe as "guidelines for encoding proper names" is a simple substitution code for encipherment of names that were not otherwise contained in the codebook. But I'm not sure that the first of the two examples you give under that head, actually does that. It may have more to do with encryption of names... I'm just not sure. So-called "s-p-e=l-l-i-n-g" was always a headache when it came to codes, going back to nautical signal codes as well. It was too laborious: you preferred to use code standing for names and phrases, so you didn't have to spell things out. Here's an example of how the ACE "Is base of code and means figures" sheet would work: TR + ACE = cars (I presume railroad) GA = 30 thus, FACE FIU = 20 million dollars I'd love to see more of this. The Ford Company's cabling to operations overseas, let's say, Japan, would without doubt have been coded, probably with the company's proprietary code, perhaps in conjunction with something like Liebers or the ABC 5th or 6th edition. The telegram of 27 February 1917 examples the common practice of penciling translation on the face (or back) of the telegram itself. Thanks for posting this.

There would have been telegraphic codes for supply of automobiles and particularly parts. Their main purpose would have been economy : because telegrams and especially cablegrams (via submarine cable) were priced by the word, communications could be quite expensive.

Secrecy would have likely been at least as important in Liebold’s case, as communications from Ford’s office would have involved managemet, strategic, labor and other issues.

I am surprised there are not published telegraph codes within the Ford archives; even parts lists would have incorporated codes as a matter of course. Keep digging! I’ve seen codes incorporated in parts lists and catalogues for GM, International Harvester, etc.

The codewords shown here seem to me naive for so late a date (ca 1919). For one thing, they do not use the so-called two-letter difference rule, where every code word is at least two letters different from every other (thereby providing some protection from mutilation in transmission). Also, they’re of different lengths. But the codewords interest me less than the phrases, and their organization. I wonder if what you have here is a draft to a later code. Do these sheets come with an instruction in their use?

The “science” of selecting and arranging phrases is different from the science of selecting codes words, or making a “figure code.” Specialists were around for both jobs, although individual business people (men and some women too) were able to crank a code in short order, e.g., for a “present emergency.”

It’s my guess that the item you describe as “guidelines for encoding proper names” is a simple substitution code for encipherment of names that were not otherwise contained in the codebook. But I’m not sure that the first of the two examples you give under that head, actually does that. It may have more to do with encryption of names… I’m just not sure. So-called “s-p-e=l-l-i-n-g” was always a headache when it came to codes, going back to nautical signal codes as well. It was too laborious: you preferred to use code standing for names and phrases, so you didn’t have to spell things out.

Here’s an example of how the ACE “Is base of code and means figures” sheet would work:
TR + ACE = cars (I presume railroad)
GA = 30

thus, FACE FIU = 20 million dollars

I’d love to see more of this. The Ford Company’s cabling to operations overseas, let’s say, Japan, would without doubt have been coded, probably with the company’s proprietary code, perhaps in conjunction with something like Liebers or the ABC 5th or 6th edition.

The telegram of 27 February 1917 examples the common practice of penciling translation on the face (or back) of the telegram itself.

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