Flutterby™! : Typing styles

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Typing styles

2003-09-30 21:54:19.933524+00 by Dan Lyke 4 comments

PRBop linked to: Software Utilizes Unique Typing Styles to Identify Individual Users. Back in 1988 or so I tossed the idea of a grant proposal to investigate just this at UTC. I got a big "Oh, that'll never work" from the newly appointed head of the Center for Excellence in Computer Applications, and went off to diddle with stuff they would pay me to do.

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comments in ascending chronological order (reverse):

#Comment Re: Typing styles made: 2003-10-01 14:11:51.35077+00 by: petronius

Another technological breakthrough that duplicates old research. In one of Ian Fleming's James Bond novels from the early 60's, Bond is spending a bit of time back at HQ catching up on the paperwork. He summarizes an official report on identifying spies by recognizing their "fist", their unique style in using a telegraph key while sending clandestine radio messages. Even switching from right to left hand tapping wouldn't completely change their pattern, so you could with some practice recognize the technique of Agent X127 as opposed to X128. I can see where a digital system would be almost as identifiable as a voiceprint--that is to say, less than a fingerprint but more than a facial recognition system.

#Comment Re: Typing styles made: 2003-10-01 17:53:10.752045+00 by: Jerry Kindall

There was Apple II software that attempted to recognize people by their typing style back in the '80s. I think Nibble magazine ran such a program, for instance.

#Comment Re: Typing styles made: 2003-10-01 18:05:17.896759+00 by: Dan Lyke

I've had a correspondent who's done some well known research in this area, but since they chose to email I'll not go into too much detail, who pointed out the Clifford Stoll abandoned such a project due to latency issues in the search described in his book The Cuckoo's Egg[Wiki].

#Comment Re: Typing styles made: 2003-10-01 18:07:25.664426+00 by: Dan Lyke

Oh yeah: PawSense.