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How Many Keys Have You Pressed?
teardrop.ca writes
"A new project created by Jason Hooper involves the counting and displaying of statistical information regarding the number of keys you have pressed since sign-up to this project. A change from the distributed problem solving projects that have been around for awhile. " Finally
a truly frivelous use of distributed computing! It's a bit thin, looks like it
could be easily gamed, but damn it'd be funny if the whole world did this (never mind
the security and privacy issues). I'm curious how many more times some keys
are pressed then others (perhaps this would explain why my spacebars
always seem to break on my laptops :/)
How many keys then
Looking for an Information Security student project suggestion?
Try http://dotcrimeManifesto.com/
The most pressed Slashdot keys...
F-I-R-S-T P-O-S-T
Ironic considering this might be the first post.
If you celebrate Xmas, befriend me (538
I'm supposed to download a program that sits in the tray and records all the keys I press? I mean, to count them, they all have to pass their code, right? And it has network functionality... HELLO? Security?
Am I the only one here who can see the rather hazardous applications of a program like this? I don't want anybody keeping track of how many keys I happen to be pressing when I'm typing.
Among other things...
And on a more serious note, here is their privacy policy.
I knew a long time ago that distributed computing would truly make a difference in humanity's quest for knowledge. But I would never have imagined that we would be able to count and analyze keystroke data from users around the world. It is truly a great day for science! :p
Blatant sarcasm aside, this is moderately interesting. Any chances we'll see a linux client?
Learn to Play Go
I can see it now. Instead of KLOCs we will have MOKP (millions of keys pressed). My boss would love it!
Sean.OutaHere()
I have spent most of my life keeping track of the keys i have pressed! a= 3 I= 3 h= 2 v= 2 e= 9 s= 6 p= 4 oy, this was a lot hard then i thought, im going to take a nap
Mikey
I've always been the kinda guy to fall for the girl dressed like an eskimo.
I bet it's 1, 2, 3, and 4 this past year since all I seem to do is play D2, drink potions, and die anyway....
No offense teardrop.ca, but ah duh, did you expect any intelligent responses on this story?!
The distributed version sounds dangerous for the security reasons others have pointed out ...
... how about something which popped up every 1000 key strokes (or whatever) reminding you to give you wrists a rest.
But, could a local version help with RSI? I remember obnoxious programs which popped up every hour reminding you to take a break
Wow, I'm amused about how many people replied to this article without actually having read the site. Jay's a good friend of mine, I know he wouldn't log the actual keys. Besides, when you go to the Privacy Policy on the page (Yes, you can visit the mentioned sites! What wonder!), it mentions what Pulse will and won't do:
It is the intent of Pulse to transmit the following information to dolphin.bitdevil.com on a basis whose periodicity is decided by the user through Pulse's configuration menus:
- user's account name as provided by user
- user's password for Project Dolphin as provided by user
- one integer that represents the total number of keys typed since last contact with dolphin.bitdevil.com for the same purpose
- the current time (represented by the number of seconds elapsed since midnight, 1 Jan 1970 UTC), according to the system clock on the user's computer
What it is guaranteed Pulse does not record, collect, or transmit to this server or any other destination:
- which keys the user types, with exception to the analysis of the very last key hit, in order to decide if it is a key that "counts" as a key being hit
- the contents of the user's hard drive or any other attached or internal or external storage device that may hold any type of data
- anything on the user's screen
So, for the benefit of the lazy people who can't be bothered to actually read the important information on a product's website, there you go - the important bits of the privacy policy. Oh, can I get your addresses? I'd like to send you a hard-copy of the link on a big fscking piece of clue-by-four. Jesus.
Matthew G P Coe
http://mgpcoe.blogspot.com/
Generate a script that writes "the quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog", it uses every letter in the english alphabet, over and over just to throw off their stats.
On a side note the keys at the support center here would be EU does not RTFM.
Here's a wacky idea. Read the pages before you comment. They don't keep track of which keys and how many times. Just how many keys total. The return ONE integer to the server periodically and that is: Number of total keys pressed since last contact.
Despite the dubious value of this little enterprise, there is one solution that would appease the fears of all the paranoid security people out there: Open source. If any random C-literate individual is concerned about the keylogging capabilities of the system, he can just check the source code and see that it's just keys_pressed++; inside a loop.
The people who run this really ought to consider opening the source, otherwise privacy concerns could cause their project to fail.
Learn to Play Go
Eventually, he would need only one key.
Would it be labeled "Any"?
Anyway, I hope you are trying to be funny, because I can't think of a less efficient way to type than having the keys move around on you.
-Peter
In terms of frequency, here are the percentages (out of _The Code Book_, by Simon Singh, page 19):
--
"Everybody wants a rock to wind a piece of string around." - They Might Be Giants, "We Want a Rock"
Jay's a good friend of mine, I know he wouldn't log the actual keys.
Heh :- /
My ex-wife was a good friend of mine.
She wouldn't tip brake fluid over my car
Besides, when you go to the Privacy Policy on the page it mentions what Pulse will and won't do
And this privacy policy comes under European law also?
Is Jay open to bribes from unscrupulous bastards who will pay for the data he collects?
Can a melicious version of this code be put out there so a clueless windoze user downloads the wrong one? (one without a ''privacy policy'')
Even if your mate has the best intentions, encouraging people to install spyware like this is very bad karma. You are encouraging people to take stupid risks.
Anyone quoted by a reporter knows how little they understand
Don't believe what you read is the truth.
Eventually, he would need only one key.
Congratulations, you just invented the telegraph.