Try again, but research first

Post #173,551 by xtensive 9/10/04 1:13:53 PM Reply	Try again, but research first There is absolutely no way that this document was typed on any machine that was available in 1973. According to [link\|http://www-1.ibm.com/ibm/history/history/year_1941.html\|this link] IBM introduced proportional spacing in 1941(!!!) THIRTY+ years prior to the origin of this document. Next we take a look at [link\|http://216.239.41.104/search?q=cache:PZnx1vdH-6oJ:https://web1.ssg.gunter.af.mil/ho/documents/chronologies/Air%2520Force%2520Data%2520Systems%2520Design%2520Center%25201969.doc+selectric+military&hl=en\|this link] (google'd HTML version of a USAF doc). Isn't that interesting, USAF was making extensive use of these same IBM machines. Weird, I know. And these machines came w/ interchangeable key-sets. Now, I'm no expert here, but given the frequency w/ which the services would encounter things like, "rd", "st", "th" in the memos/docs they were producing, I wouldn't be at all surprised that they purchased the alternate key-sets. Congratulations, however, on your helping the right in trying to bury the content of the memos. thanks mx. "I'm man enough to tell you that I can't put my finger on exactly what my philosophy is now, but I'm flexible." -- Malcolm X
Post #173,552 by Another Scott 9/10/04 1:22:18 PM Reply	Eh? Selectric is not the same as Executive.
Post #173,554 by xtensive 9/10/04 1:29:49 PM Reply	Not saying they are... First link merely indicates the technology existed long before 1973. Second link shows USAF was using typewriters - i.e. the Selectric Composer - that were capable of producing the memo(s) in question. thanks mx. "I'm man enough to tell you that I can't put my finger on exactly what my philosophy is now, but I'm flexible." -- Malcolm X
Post #173,555 by Another Scott 9/10/04 1:33:50 PM Reply	Okie Dokie.
Post #173,556 by deSitter 9/10/04 1:35:17 PM 9/10/04 1:38:14 PM Reply	Key caps Typewriter repairmen where accustomed to putting new caps on hammer-front-strike TWs. IBM typewriters featured replaceable hammercaps. See this: [link\|http://www.selectric.org/selectric/index.html\|http://www.selectric...ectric/index.html] I think THIS is conclusive, and will now admit that these documents were in fact forged. Amazing. -drl Edited by deSitter Sept. 10, 2004, 01:38:14 PM EDT Expand All History
Post #173,558 by xtensive 9/10/04 1:48:27 PM Reply	Re: Key caps In which case the next question is, who forged them? Did these come straight via a FOIA request? Are these part of Shrubs scrubbed files? Again, however, note that your link states the Selectric Composer - which was capable of this, and for which the link has no sample - could make these memos. They were expensive in '66 when first introduced, maybe not so much four to six years later. The USAF was using the Composer... but where? thanks mx. "I'm man enough to tell you that I can't put my finger on exactly what my philosophy is now, but I'm flexible." -- Malcolm X
Post #173,562 by deSitter 9/10/04 1:56:17 PM Reply	Re: Key caps I don't think the document was produced in Windows/Word, since there are small but important font differences (and I'm very anal about fonts :) It may have been produced in Word Perfect, or with a Mac. Did the Republicans deliberately plant forgeries to take the attention away from Ben Barnes' statements? Where did the documents originate? That after all was the REALLY damning evidence. It is a terrible time when we have to doubt if such subtrefuge is afoot. -drl
Post #173,563 by Andrew Grygus 9/10/04 2:01:13 PM Reply	The expense is irrelevant. I'm plenty familiar with this in the corp. environment from back then and I'm sure it was the same in government. A high capability machine would be purchased for a particular person or project. The person would be transferred, the project would be canceled or some such. At this point the high capability machine becomes an orphan to be assigned to whoever has no choice in the matter (it was often oversize or a bother to use). For example, the expensive programmable accountants calculator I used until 1984 was never programmed again after I left and was passed on to whoever didn't have a say in the matter until it finally died many years later. So the expense or specialized intent of a machine has little bearing on who ends up using it some years (or even months) after purchase. [link\|http://www.aaxnet.com\|AAx]
Post #173,569 by Arkadiy 9/10/04 2:14:34 PM Reply	According to other bloggers Selectric Composers were not only expensive, but really hard to use. They were driven by specialist to produce fliers and news sheet, not used by officers for documents that were to be hidded in personal file, never to see the light of day unless CUA was desired. Think PowerPoint versus Photoshop. -- ... a reference to Presidente Arbusto. -- [link\|http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/001417.html\|Geoffrey K. Pullum]
Post #173,568 by Another Scott 9/10/04 2:14:04 PM Reply	Picture of Selectric Composer 47 kb .jpg [link\|http://www.ibmcomposer.org/SelComposer/description.htm\|Selectric Composer]. [image\|http://www.ibmcomposer.org/SelComposer/images/MyComposer1.jpg\|0\|Selctric Composer\|325\|420] The basic task of the IBM Composer was to produce justified camera ready copy using proportional fonts. It has the capability of using a variety of font sizes and styles. The first IBM Composer was the IBM "Selectric" Composer announced in 1966. It was a hybrid "Selectric" typewriter that was modified to have proportional spaced fonts. It is 100% mechanical and has no digital electronics. Since it has no memory, the user was required to type everything twice. While typing the text the first time, the machine would measure the length of the line and count the number of spaces. When the user finished typing a line of text, they would record special measurements into the right margin of the paper. Once the entire column of text was typed and measured, it would then be retyped, however before typing each line, the operator would set the special justification dial (on the right side) to the proper settings, then type the line. The machine would automatically insert the appropriate amount of space between words so that all of the text would be justified. It doesn't sound like a machine that someone would use to type memos. Cheers, Scott.
Post #173,553 by deSitter 9/10/04 1:27:49 PM Reply	Re: Try again, but research first Arkadiy has a point, he says he put the text into Word and got identical results. Now, my normal.dot has 10 pt TNR font and 1 1/4 inch margins (check - delete normal.dot and let Word recreate it...works). What about your? Take the text and type/paste it in your Word's "blank document". If you've modified your normal.dot, move it to a safe place and let Word create a new one with program defaults. -drl
Post #173,567 by Arkadiy 9/10/04 2:10:47 PM Reply	I don't have a point, but LGF does You saw two bitmaps superimposed. One comes from Word, another from an electro-mechanical device 30 years ago, through xerox and fax. What are the odds that the bitmaps will align the way they do? The letter shapes are same, the kerning is same, the line distance are same, word spacing is same. Unless someone can point a direct engineering path from IBM Selectic to Word kerning algorithms and Times New Roman font, I am convinced that's forgery. -- ... a reference to Presidente Arbusto. -- [link\|http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/001417.html\|Geoffrey K. Pullum]
Post #173,575 by deSitter 9/10/04 2:34:03 PM Reply	Re: I don't have a point, but LGF does I trust you - I don't trust Wers. -drl
Post #173,598 by Arkadiy 9/10/04 5:08:55 PM Reply	OK, I did what he did Our office closed early today so I figured, what the heck... Cut and pasted from his Word doc to my own, pasted as plain text, so I only had default formatting. Took a screenshot of Word doc. Took a screenshot of PDF memo from CBS site. Using Adobe Photoshop Elements, reduced the Word screenshot to red outline. Overlayed the red outline over the PDF screenshot. Positioned and stretched until I achieved the following result: [link\|http://twiki.iwethey.org/twiki/pub/Main/OpenForum/bushMemo.gif\|http://twiki.iwethey...orum/bushMemo.gif] (Whoever maintains tWiki - I screwwd up and saved a 700K .psd file of the same thing. I don't know how to remove it. Could you do that?) -- ... a reference to Presidente Arbusto. -- [link\|http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/001417.html\|Geoffrey K. Pullum]
Post #173,602 by deSitter 9/10/04 5:43:56 PM Reply	Nice! I'd say that was conclusive. Now to find out the history of these documents. Note that you DO have to reset the margins and switch to 12 point type - nevertheless... Good work. -drl

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