Comments on: Scalable stylometry: can we de-anonymize the Internet by analyzing writing style? http://boingboing.net/2012/02/21/scalable-stylometry-can-we-de.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Sat, 18 May 2013 13:10:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Guest http://boingboing.net/2012/02/21/scalable-stylometry-can-we-de.html#comment-1352234 Guest Thu, 23 Feb 2012 03:47:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=144832#comment-1352234 Xeni blogged this about 4-5 years ago here on Boing Boing and I called attention to: <b>Obfuscating Document Stylometry to Preserve Author Anonymity</b> in the comments here: http://www.boingboing.net/2007/09/26/do-you-blog-like-a-t.html#comment-227021145 The PDF is still available from the links I gave there. Xeni blogged this about 4-5 years ago here on Boing Boing and I called attention to:

Obfuscating Document Stylometry to Preserve Author Anonymity in the comments here:

http://www.boingboing.net/2007/09/26/do-you-blog-like-a-t.html#comment-227021145

The PDF is still available from the links I gave there.

]]> By: bardfinn http://boingboing.net/2012/02/21/scalable-stylometry-can-we-de.html#comment-1351483 bardfinn Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:17:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=144832#comment-1351483 To answer the question posed by the headline: No. Proof: Run against a set of de-nominised YouTube comments on popular videos. Measure percentage of comments correctly attributed. Corrolary: Despair for Humanity. To answer the question posed by the headline:

No.

Proof:

Run against a set of de-nominised YouTube comments on popular videos. Measure percentage of comments correctly attributed. Corrolary: Despair for Humanity.

]]> By: Cowicide http://boingboing.net/2012/02/21/scalable-stylometry-can-we-de.html#comment-1351339 Cowicide Wed, 22 Feb 2012 05:25:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=144832#comment-1351339 Xeni covered this 4-5 years ago on Boing Boing in a post about the "Dark Web" project which was doing the same thing. I brought up <a href="http://research.microsoft.com/apps/pubs/default.aspx?id=69343" rel="nofollow">Obfuscating Document Stylometry to Preserve Author Anonymity</a> in the thread here: http://www.boingboing.net/2007/09/26/do-you-blog-like-a-t.html#comment-227021145 It's surely far more advanced by now.  So much so that your different writing styles are probably not much of a match for it. How did I remember this? Fish oil is GAWD!!!11 Xeni covered this 4-5 years ago on Boing Boing in a post about the “Dark Web” project which was doing the same thing.

I brought up Obfuscating Document Stylometry to Preserve Author Anonymity in the thread here:

http://www.boingboing.net/2007/09/26/do-you-blog-like-a-t.html#comment-227021145

It’s surely far more advanced by now.  So much so that your different writing styles are probably not much of a match for it.

How did I remember this? Fish oil is GAWD!!!11

]]> By: Moriarty http://boingboing.net/2012/02/21/scalable-stylometry-can-we-de.html#comment-1351284 Moriarty Wed, 22 Feb 2012 03:21:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=144832#comment-1351284  This is exactly why I'm always so bland and unoriginal in everything I write.  This is exactly why I’m always so bland and unoriginal in everything I write.

]]> By: Roy Trumbull http://boingboing.net/2012/02/21/scalable-stylometry-can-we-de.html#comment-1351275 Roy Trumbull Wed, 22 Feb 2012 03:10:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=144832#comment-1351275 One test for the amateur is to pick up a magazine or book that pretends to contain letters re sex issues sent in by various people. One quickly notes there is no variation at all. Every last one was written by the same person.  On the other hand Mark Twain pointed out using several texts claimed to come from a common author that the writer of one couldn't have written the other. The bible is a cobbled together collection of various sources and the redactors couldn't refrain from making improvements.  My favorite "sticks out like a sore thumb" line comes from Genesis 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh. It doesn't fit at all with what precedes and what follows. A real shoehorn insert. One test for the amateur is to pick up a magazine or book that pretends to contain letters re sex issues sent in by various people. One quickly notes there is no variation at all. Every last one was written by the same person. 
On the other hand Mark Twain pointed out using several texts claimed to come from a common author that the writer of one couldn’t have written the other.
The bible is a cobbled together collection of various sources and the redactors couldn’t refrain from making improvements. 
My favorite “sticks out like a sore thumb” line comes from Genesis 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh.
It doesn’t fit at all with what precedes and what follows. A real shoehorn insert.

]]> By: Susan Carley Oliver http://boingboing.net/2012/02/21/scalable-stylometry-can-we-de.html#comment-1351244 Susan Carley Oliver Wed, 22 Feb 2012 02:17:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=144832#comment-1351244 I wonder if this could be used as a hedge against cheating in high school and college writing classes.  Analyse each student's writing from an in-class free-form writing exercise at the beginning of the term, then run all future writing assignments against this initial profile. I wonder if this could be used as a hedge against cheating in high school and college writing classes.  Analyse each student’s writing from an in-class free-form writing exercise at the beginning of the term, then run all future writing assignments against this initial profile.

]]> By: That_Anonymous_Coward http://boingboing.net/2012/02/21/scalable-stylometry-can-we-de.html#comment-1351239 That_Anonymous_Coward Wed, 22 Feb 2012 02:10:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=144832#comment-1351239  He could use one... Maybe if he found some skill first....  He could use one…
Maybe if he found some skill first….

]]> By: Kimmo http://boingboing.net/2012/02/21/scalable-stylometry-can-we-de.html#comment-1351235 Kimmo Wed, 22 Feb 2012 02:04:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=144832#comment-1351235 Yeah, well when I saw this... <blockquote>The summary cites another paper by someone who found that even unaided efforts to disguise one's style makes stylometric analysis much less effective.</blockquote> ...I couldn't help thinking that such unaided efforts were likely to simply produce another recognisable style (or styles) that could then potentially be linked to your main identity. Yeah, well when I saw this…
The summary cites another paper by someone who found that even unaided efforts to disguise one’s style makes stylometric analysis much less effective.

…I couldn’t help thinking that such unaided efforts were likely to simply produce another recognisable style (or styles) that could then potentially be linked to your main identity.

]]> By: ultranaut http://boingboing.net/2012/02/21/scalable-stylometry-can-we-de.html#comment-1351215 ultranaut Wed, 22 Feb 2012 01:12:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=144832#comment-1351215 This is why I adopt distinctly different writing styles for each pseudonym I use. This is why I adopt distinctly different writing styles for each pseudonym I use.

]]> By: MrEricSir http://boingboing.net/2012/02/21/scalable-stylometry-can-we-de.html#comment-1351182 MrEricSir Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:02:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=144832#comment-1351182 Sounds like a job for Aaron Barr! Sounds like a job for Aaron Barr!

]]> By: robdobbs http://boingboing.net/2012/02/21/scalable-stylometry-can-we-de.html#comment-1351169 robdobbs Tue, 21 Feb 2012 23:46:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=144832#comment-1351169 There's still lots of time to attend other interesting technical presentations in 2012 Cory. Don't give up yet! There’s still lots of time to attend other interesting technical presentations in 2012 Cory. Don’t give up yet!

]]> By: petsounds http://boingboing.net/2012/02/21/scalable-stylometry-can-we-de.html#comment-1351168 petsounds Tue, 21 Feb 2012 23:45:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=144832#comment-1351168 I've thought about this too (because I'm paranoid), but more from the aspect of things you mention. "Oh, this post mentioned Ada Lovelace. And this other one mentioned liking Fawlty Towers. We've got a match, boys!" I’ve thought about this too (because I’m paranoid), but more from the aspect of things you mention. “Oh, this post mentioned Ada Lovelace. And this other one mentioned liking Fawlty Towers. We’ve got a match, boys!”

]]> By: awjt http://boingboing.net/2012/02/21/scalable-stylometry-can-we-de.html#comment-1351163 awjt Tue, 21 Feb 2012 23:39:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=144832#comment-1351163 There's another layer, beyond grammar and vocabulary.  We could analyze your presence on the interwebs, handles used, types of things you like to comment on, etc.  Meta-data about the writer could come in just as handy as the writing itself. There’s another layer, beyond grammar and vocabulary.  We could analyze your presence on the interwebs, handles used, types of things you like to comment on, etc.  Meta-data about the writer could come in just as handy as the writing itself.

]]> By: Incipient Madness http://boingboing.net/2012/02/21/scalable-stylometry-can-we-de.html#comment-1351150 Incipient Madness Tue, 21 Feb 2012 23:25:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=144832#comment-1351150 They no can tell whoo I iz bye how I rite. I right krazee nau so they no can tell who I iz. They no can tell whoo I iz bye how I rite. I right krazee nau so they no can tell who I iz.

]]> By: Paul Renault http://boingboing.net/2012/02/21/scalable-stylometry-can-we-de.html#comment-1351143 Paul Renault Tue, 21 Feb 2012 23:18:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=144832#comment-1351143 Cory, Tim Campbell, author of Pyroto Mountain, used to spend a lot of time hunting for zombies back in the old days.  He told me that analysis of the way the wizards typed (speed, pauses, etc), their word count, word length, and other factors would usually reveal duplicate wizards. (BTW: I played on Tim's Mountain 1A, running on his IBM PC-XT running paired-up IBM non-XT 43W PSUs. Ah, the good 'ole days...) /off to read Cory, Tim Campbell, author of Pyroto Mountain, used to spend a lot of time hunting for zombies back in the old days.  He told me that analysis of the way the wizards typed (speed, pauses, etc), their word count, word length, and other factors would usually reveal duplicate wizards.

(BTW: I played on Tim’s Mountain 1A, running on his IBM PC-XT running paired-up IBM non-XT 43W PSUs. Ah, the good ‘ole days…)

/off to read

]]> By: Hakuin http://boingboing.net/2012/02/21/scalable-stylometry-can-we-de.html#comment-1351138 Hakuin Tue, 21 Feb 2012 23:13:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=144832#comment-1351138 or you could have many nyms and fists. or you could have many nyms and fists.

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