5 ms·

I wouldn't be surprised if writing style could also be used. I tend to use certain constructions and vocabulary across many of my comments. Some are under a han

I wouldn't be surprised if writing style could also be used. I tend to use certain constructions and vocabulary across many of my comments. Some are under a handle with little or no link to my real identity, and some are quite the opposite. I expect someone could deanonymize the former based on correlation of writing style with the latter.

3131s 6y ago
That's called stylometry and it can be surprisingly accurate under the right conditions.
- gruez 6y ago
  What’s the actual scientific evidence backing this? I’m asking because various forensic techniques that were previously perceived to be reliable (fingerprints, handwriting analysis, bite marks) turned out to be total bunk.
  - SpelingBeeChamp 6y ago
    Evidence that fingerprint analysis is "total bunk?" That one is news to me.
    - mattmanser 6y ago
      Well, not total bunk, but less reliable than generally believed: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21228442-600-miscarriage-of-justice-points-to-fingerprint-flaws/ https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21228442-600-miscarri... Then again a lot of forensic techniques seem to fall into the same category: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20150512-can-we-trust-forensic-science https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20150512-can-we-trust-for... A lot of the problems come from human bias and over-stating the accuracy of tests at trial.
  - wincy 6y ago
    Well I’m fairly certain this is how they figured out who the Unabomber was. His brother recognized his style of writing and called the feds.
  - thatcat 6y ago
    It's statistical analysis of word frequency, distribution, phrasing, and other features to create a fingerprint of someones writing style. I'm not sure what you mean by evidence, it's used to narrow a set of possibilities of authorship like a search filter.
refurb 6y ago
That's in the indictment too. He misspelled "quality" across several different posts. Alone it's not conclusive, but it's one more piece of evidence linking all of the activity together.
- hunter2_ 6y ago
  Yes, though I was thinking more about entirely correct writing. Patterns among hay in a haystack, as opposed to a needle.

3131s 6y ago

That's called stylometry and it can be surprisingly accurate under the right conditions.

gruez 6y ago
What’s the actual scientific evidence backing this? I’m asking because various forensic techniques that were previously perceived to be reliable (fingerprints, handwriting analysis, bite marks) turned out to be total bunk.
- SpelingBeeChamp 6y ago
  Evidence that fingerprint analysis is "total bunk?" That one is news to me.
  - mattmanser 6y ago
    Well, not total bunk, but less reliable than generally believed: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21228442-600-miscarriage-of-justice-points-to-fingerprint-flaws/ https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21228442-600-miscarri... Then again a lot of forensic techniques seem to fall into the same category: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20150512-can-we-trust-forensic-science https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20150512-can-we-trust-for... A lot of the problems come from human bias and over-stating the accuracy of tests at trial.
- wincy 6y ago
  Well I’m fairly certain this is how they figured out who the Unabomber was. His brother recognized his style of writing and called the feds.
- thatcat 6y ago
  It's statistical analysis of word frequency, distribution, phrasing, and other features to create a fingerprint of someones writing style. I'm not sure what you mean by evidence, it's used to narrow a set of possibilities of authorship like a search filter.

refurb 6y ago

That's in the indictment too. He misspelled "quality" across several different posts. Alone it's not conclusive, but it's one more piece of evidence linking all of the activity together.

hunter2_ 6y ago
Yes, though I was thinking more about entirely correct writing. Patterns among hay in a haystack, as opposed to a needle.