Slashdot Mirror
WW2 Carrier Pigeon and Undecoded Message Found In Chimney
BigBadBus writes "The BBC is reporting that the remains of a World War 2 carrier pigeon were found during renovation of a chimney in England. What is interesting is that the pigeon's remains still had its message attached to the leg ring; even more interesting, this is the first recorded instance of a code being used rather than plain text. The successor to WW2 code-breaking HQ Bletchley Park, the GCHQ, is trying to decipher this unique code. Maybe a Slashdot reader can beat them to it?"
It says, "Dresden agrees to surrender, no need to firebomb, Feb. 12, 1945"
What political party do you join when you don't like Bible-thumpers *or* hippies?
It says, "All Germany's base are belong to us"
Eat me with a peeper sauce and a good wine.
Obviously they were just sending serial numbers to aid in pirating punch card software.
They had huge latency and packet loss back then, didn't they?
It read "This pigeon is under no circumstances to be shot and eaten, nor allowed near chimneys"
Please consider this account deleted, I just can't be bothered with the spam anymore.
"Wenn ist das Nunstuck git und Slotermeyer? Ja! Beiherhund das Oder die Flipperwaldt gersput!"
I prefer the doubly redundant not not undecoded. Oh well, back to my technical writing job.
i wonder how the bird got in the chimney in the first place
It walked there.
What political party do you join when you don't like Bible-thumpers *or* hippies?
Very small helicopter.
0 = 1 + e^(Alt something)
I've boiled down the 32 comments (so far) to 2:
"Drink more ovaltine! (ha ha)" and the like
Undecoded = unnecessary double negative.
Glad to save you some time, Dear Reader.
"Help, I'm stuck in a chimney. I'm attaching this message to the leg of a carrier pigeon. Oh crap, I am a carrier pigeon, and this is my leg."
The message was hidden within the lace of avian lingerie.
Actually, it says:
Notice of intent to build a hyperspace express route is hereby given to the peoples of earth.
Plans and demolition orders may be viewed at your local planning office in Alpha Centauri.
Thank you,
Galactic Hyperspace Planning Council
Didn't expect the British to already use Windows back then. Why they shared those serialz via carrier pigeon is beyond me, though...
Don't decode it! It's a copy of the funniest joke in the world! It's in coded form so that it won't hurt anyone!
Coder's Stone: The programming language quick ref for iPad
.
If people only used standards, then even multi-decades old avian-datagrams could route around the blockage of chimneys and continue onward! ;>)
.
The RFC even discusses encryption and tactical issues: ``Security Considerations Security is not generally a problem in normal operation, but special measures must be taken (such as data encryption) when avian carriers are used in a tactical environment.'' This BBN place sounds like a fun place to work if they've got this much time on their hands!
It flue in
tone
It entered the chimney because it was pining for the fjords.
It's not pinin,' it's passed on! This pigeon is no more! It has ceased to be! It's expired and gone to meet its maker! This is a late pigeon! It's a stiff! Bereft of life, it rests in peace! If you hadn't nailed him to the perch he would be pushing up the daisies! Its metabolical processes are of interest only to historians! It's hopped the twig! It's shuffled off this mortal coil! It's run down the curtain and joined the choir invisible! This.... is an EX-PIGEON!
Bruce Perens.
If you're going to pick that kind of nit, then it was encrypted.
read the article: the bird died in the chimney, there was no crypt involved.
lucm, indeed.
Hello, I am a Prince of the Nairobi Royal Family and I need your help...