4 ms·
Does this mean writing out a normal number is illegal? They encode state secrets, child pornography, pizza recipes, and entire computer simulations of universe
by lifeformed 14y ago
Does this mean writing out a normal number is illegal? They encode state secrets, child pornography, pizza recipes, and entire computer simulations of universes where owning pizza recipes is considered high treason.
- teraflop 14y agoOnly to the same extent that counting is illegal, because if you count high enough you'll eventually generate a numeric representation of every possible datum.
- Evbn 14y agoYes. Recall the DeCSS controversery in USA, and the Wicket-Cricket wars in fiction's HHGTTG
- randomdata 14y agoThe law is about intent. Writing out a number isn't illegal, but writing out a number with the purpose of carrying out something that is illegal is. To be fair, it is a concept that I still struggle with. My programmer mind is always stuck in "it is either true or it isn't" mode. Things that are only true sometimes do not make sense to me.