[Rightwing Conspiratr1]

"The overall impression is that the writer has lived a long time in America. The numeral 1 is the only indication on the envelope that it could be written by someone from another country, as the American numeral 1 is just a straight line," she said.

I've always thought handwriting analysis was as bogus as astrology. Now I'm certain of it. I know dozens of Americans including myself who use serifs when writing the number 1.

[bimbo]

I've always thought handwriting analysis was as bogus as astrology.

True. And like Astrologists, Graphologists usually try to tell the client what he wants to hear.

[washington10]

Handwriting analysis isnt a hoax. Everyone has similarities when it comes to handwritig. For example people from the 1950's all learned a style of the alphabet different from when I learned it in the 80's as a child. When we are kids we all pretty much have the same class characteristics when we are learning to form letters. Over time and with age well develop our own unique characteristics. We cant escape though entirely what we learned in school that is why you will find numerous similarities with the handwriting of various people. The same idea also applies to numbers as well.

[karth]

That "2" is more unusual than the ones. Thats what looks foreign; American kids haven't been taught to make a 2 like that in any living person's lifetime.

[LibWhacker]

I've always thought handwriting analysis was as bogus as astrology. Now I'm certain of it.

Me too . . . Not that I don't think sound statistical analysis of handwriting might actually be able to reveal something about a writer. These guys aren't doing statistics at all, AFAIK. As someone else said, they just seem to be telling you what you want to hear.

I'll bet that if someone practiced until he could perfectly reproduce by hand the font on this page (vs. caligraphy, for which they have pat answers), handwriting analysts wouldn't hesitate to crank out reams of suspect psychoanalysis on the guy, if asked.