Posted on 09/13/2004 1:03:57 AM PDT by The Bandit
To put a wooden stake in the heart of the vampire that is the IBM Selectric Composer typewriter theory, we've put-together a few graphics to illustrate one of the many reasons why this particular unit could not have produced any of the suspect CBS memos.
On an IBM Selectric Composer typewriter, all characters - regardless of font or point size - have fixed "unit values" assigned to them. This means that, while the actual physical space taken-up by a character will change with font and point size, the relationships between characters within that given font and point size are always the same.
The three examples we have chosen are:
If this memo had been typed on an IBM Selectric Composer, "have" and "time" would be the same length (21 units), "File" and "he's" would likewise match each other (18 units), and "drill" and "that" would pair-off as well (19 units). As you can see, they do not.
This is one of the many reasons why this particular typewriter is not a valid explanation as a source for these documents.
BUMP
Nice
Bummer for Dan.
Do we know for sure, or not, if the Killian
memos were kerned?
Apparently the default for MS Word that created the memos DOES NOT kern by default. But it does do "psuedo kerning", which is as distiquishable from real kerning. And no, the equipment in 1972 discussed elsewhere doesn't do psuedo kerning either.
The memos are fake. No question.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1214078/posts
great minds......
"Do we know for sure, or not, if the Killian memos were kerned?"
Apparently, text that appears kerned to the reader, but which closer inspection would reveal as un-kerned, was a design objective of TrueType. Actual kerning took too much processor overhead in 1989.
The spacing is controlled by a patented process. Amazing that they got a patent for software font spacing that existed in 1972-era typewriters, isn't it?
Actually, TrueType involves the possibility of "negative spacing" of a letter (bringing it backwards) if the letter before it permitted. 1972 era typewriters could not do this, because they didn't know the preceding letter.
"Actually, TrueType involves the possibility of "negative spacing" of a letter (bringing it backwards) if the letter before it permitted."
Not really. TrueType implies that the negative value of one letter is always applied to the placement of the next letter -- unless kerning (which considers specific combinations) is turned on and dictates otherwise. Because no consideration is given to what particular characters are being paired, TrueType can't move the following letter into the space of the other.
In other words, the only overlap is within the bounds of the serifs -- which coincidentally results in desirable ligatures for some combinations. The flounder article has been enhanced, and now covers this in greater detail.
Furthermore, "pseudo kerning" (used by TrueType) is a PATENTED PROCESS which was not invented until the 1980's.
Thanks for the detailed correction. And the nature of True Type, as you described it, is different from proportional spacing as practiced on typewriters, e.g., IBM Executive.
How dare you?!
How dare you try to insert fact and truth into the validity of these documents?!
You pajama-clad knave!
You beat me to it.
BTTT
unfortunately this page is unavailable due to escessive demand. :)
The bottom line is that TrueType default is more sophisticated than plain proportional spacing, but less sophisticated than kerning. Here's an example of kerning, sorry about the blank space:
The top line is the MS Word Default, which is what is used in the CBS documents. The bottom line is MS Word with kerning turned on.
The CBS documents could not have been typed or printed prior to 1982, because the TrueType spacing is unique and propriatary.
The latest spin from CBS is that the memos aren't the originals, that they were transcribed on a word processor to make them more legible for the tv, that CBS has never seen the originals and that they will not be getting them from their source.
CBS isn't that FOOLISH or STUPIED (are they?)
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