As per your request. . .

[mprice]

This is in response to a the story request made by my_tara_tory the other day. What can I say? At this time of year, I'm a sucker for an off the wall plot bunny.

fanfic100 prompt: 089 - Work
pyramid_dares : Set 2, Level 10 - Computer Troubles
My Tables 'O Links -- Pyramid table, FanFic100 Table
Title: Cryptic Messages
By: Margaret Price
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: Dorian/Klaus

Comments

[esda]

That was fast oO;;

Just 2 things:
- internet speak isn't exclusively English; there's also German internet speak (like, for example, n8 for "Nacht")
- I can't imagine Klaus being to stupid to get net speak (or even l33t sp34k): He's intelligent, he's fluent in several languages (and certainly in English) and he's an intelligence officer, that means he definitely would have learned cryptography and there's far more complicated ways of encrypt messages than with net speak ;)

(And you used the Alphabet like I would have used them *lol*: Dorian making phone calls. Though I was imagining stepping one by one to the Major's table, which would have been... funny... so, yeah, I prefer that they don't do that in your story *lol*)

[mprice]

I can see Klaus getting "stuck" with something along the way. Especially if, like myself, he has an aversion to text speak and all it's adolescent permutations. I'm fluent in English, but needed help in that part of the story.

he definitely would have learned cryptography and there's far more complicated ways of encrypt messages than with net speak
This could also be a set back to someone with his training -- looking for a code in something that doesn't have one, which was the point Dorian was trying to make. And a crash course in Txt Spk has to be painful!

[esda]

Oh, I'm sure he hates text speak! Without a question he does! xD
Perhaps it would be *too* simple or too illogical an encryption for him. That's something I could go with. (But really: I've always been interested in cryptology and got text speak without any help. It's not like shortening words in English was something new. The @ was used looong before the internet was invented. And at school (when we also had no internet *g*) we left messages for each other saying IHDL (ich hab Dich lieb (I like/love you)) (or even IHDGDL ich hab dich ganz doll lieb xD (I like you very, very much)) and IDA (ich Dich auch) etc. These sort of messages were common long before the internet or even chat rooms were invented.)

Not that I didn't like your story. I do, I do!! :D

g00d n1gh7!!!!!1!!!!111
xD
(well, it's 2.09 a.m. here ^^°°)

[mprice]

The @ was used looong before the internet was invented.
It's from retail. It means "at" (Just as # means pound, as in weight.)

These sort of messages were common long before the internet or even chat rooms were invented.
Yes, and the poor Major was around before that, too. Although, I'm sure he's actually more familiar with the internet than anyone, since it was created by the US military in the first place - with a rather strict protocol.

amazingly fast!

[my_tara_tory]

Wow, that IS fast! And a totally different take on it from the hazy images I had in my mind of what could be done with the idea, which made it a surprise and so even better. Thank you!

Re: amazingly fast!

[mprice]

Would you be more or less amazed if I told you I did the rough draft in about an hour?

Glad you liked it. Thanks for the plot bunny.

Re: amazingly fast!

[my_tara_tory]

No, not surprised at all about that part. Anybody as prolific as you has got to have a super-turbo button. You probably just accidentally pushed it. I had one about ten years ago, but it broke.