I didn’t see any other thread (on the new board anyway…) discussing proposed 340 cipher solutions or partial solutions. I’ve seen a number of them over the years but doranchak has done a terrific job of compiling most, if not all, of them here along with some of the board discussions about them:
http://zodiackillerciphers.com/wiki/ind … n_attempts
Can any of these be considered a valid solution or at least better than all of the others?
Could one or more be partially correct or offer insight regarding how to approach a successful solution?
Is there a common mistake or intellectual dishonesty involved with incorrect solutions?
I just wish someone could solve it. What the hell was Zodiac saying in the 340? Did he give us his name?
Some proposed solutions may involve intellectual dishonesty.
My guess is most do not, at least at a conscious level. My post at the link above shows how you can solve the first 5 lines or so, and you will get parts of the rest of the code that fill in so that with a little bit of word solves and anagrams, you can "see" words. I think people get excited and if they then make the mistake of shutting out constructive criticism, they proceed to say they have "solved" the code, when they have not.
Doranchak has done a pretty good job of looking at many of the proposed solutions and showing their flaws.
I still think the Raw Graysmith as done by Ed/Kite/Wilks is the best effort so far, and COULD be a starting point to a real final stage solution, but I am in the minority on that view. The problem is it requires other steps, and nobody knows what those other steps are. I do believe, based on both the FBI analysis and my own work, that the 340 does have a message.
MODERATOR
I just wish someone could solve it. What the hell was Zodiac saying in the 340? Did he give us his name?
That we can all agree on. FWIW, I do believe that there is a real message behind the 340 cipher but I would be stunned if it contained anything helpful to the investigation (at least intentionally) and I’d be even more stunned if it offered a name or even a direct hint of an identity. Z didn’t have a very good track record of keeping his promises.
Some proposed solutions may involve intellectual dishonesty.
My guess is most do not, at least at a conscious level. My post at the link above shows how you can solve the first 5 lines or so, and you will get parts of the rest of the code that fill in so that with a little bit of word solves and anagrams, you can "see" words. I think people get excited and if they then make the mistake of shutting out constructive criticism, they proceed to say they have "solved" the code, when they have not.
I would agree with that, AK. I think the unconscious bias may come with the natural tendency to look for words or phrases that fit one’s person of interest or personal conceptualization of Zodiac. This is especially true when stuff like anagramming is employed. I think there’s also a natural tendency to become excited when familiar words or phrases are found and to then try to force the rest of the cipher in order to be able to claim a full solution. I think you agree that Graysmith fell into this trap. It’s quite a good effort really but his claim that it represents a full solution to the cipher is just laughable.
I’ll add my 2 cents… I am very, very cynical about these things, and I admit that. So I do think that intellectual dishonesty (lying!) is involved in some of the many proposed solutions, but I can
see the other side of the coin as well.
For example, take the Corey Starliper solution. I think the guy probably meant well. And (just as a hypothetical example) maybe he deciphered a small part to "NOWISHA." So then, he may have
thought, well, Zodiac used the word SHALL. So he must be saying "NOWISHALL." And what word would follow that? Probably "NOWISHALLKILL." And what is the next most likely word? "MORE."
So he makes it "NOWISHALLKILLMORE." And etc. On and on.
This is not actually part of his solution, just an example. I only mean to point out that some ‘solvers’ while well-intentioned, may be putting what they want to see in their solutions, but don’t
realize that they are actually creating it themselves.
It’s an odd thing. The 340 can be such a blank slate that people feel compelled to fill it in, innocently (and truly) thinking that they are "solving," while they are unintentionally fabricating.
-glurk
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I don’t believe in monsters.
In as much as the Zodiac Killer asked if we had luck solving the 340 code then we could solve for his name,
in the My Name Is…letter, this is very important work.
In as much as the Zodiac Killer asked if we had luck solving the 340 code then we could solve for his name,
in the My Name Is…letter, this is very important work.
Is this on-topic here? Entropy started this thread to discuss the merits (or lack of) in the various 340 solutions that have been proposed.
The "My Name is…" cipher is not related to this at all.
-glurk
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I don’t believe in monsters.
