Dear Next generation catalogs for libraries list readers,
Those of you who are interested, or amused, at the idea that a computer
program can uniquely identify an author of a given text, will also like to
read Author unknown : on the trail of anonymous / Don Foster. (New York :
Henry Holt, 2000.) Foster is a celebrity in the field of "literary
forensics", and among other success stories tells how he identified the
author of Primary Colors. In short: He didn't rely on a computer, though
was popularly believed to have done so.
Also, on p. 129 appears the following:
"There were more than two hundred Edward J. Smiths in this country in 1978.
Why choose Edward John Smith of Troy, New York, as the first victim of
intended serial murder? The answer to that, I think, may be found in
virtually any college or university library. Ted Kaczynski chose his
designated victims ... by searching for them in academic reference works.
In the case of Edward John Smith, Kaczynski was looking ... for anyone
sharing a name with the captain of the Titanic who also happened to be a
scientist or engineer."
This can be viewed as a case study in disambiguation.
- Ian P.S. don't worry, Kaczynski is now locked up in the Federal pen in
Colorado
Ian Fairclough
Marion (Ohio) Public Library
tel. 740-383-9725
ifairclough_at_marion.lib.oh.us
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Received on Thu Sep 06 2007 - 07:50:42 EDT