Analog Text Encryption-Compression Technique

Using only a rubber band and permanent marker or ink pen, it is possible to encrypt and decrypt a text message using only the muscle power in your fingers.

Step 1 Let's stretch before begining

Take a rubber band that is wide enough to write on, and stretch it tightly around a flat surface. The surface could be a book, or in this case, a roll of duct tape. The tighter the stretch, the better the results.

Comments

[xc1024]

It's not encryption, it's obfuscation. Encryption results in output that can be only turned back to the original message if you have the encryption key. If it doesn't require key to read it, it's called encoding. If it is designed to obfuscate the message (make it harder to read) then it's obfuscation.
What we have in this case is definitely obfuscation.

[luvit]

i'm illiterate. this helps me with my illiteracy.

[Chowmix12]

Very Clever! 5/5*

[Xeropoint]

This is really cool... Suprisingly, i never thought about doing this. lol

[Bad Donut]

Reminds me of when there is written text on a ballon that it extremely small before you blow it up. Fun!

[fungus amungus]

I remember doing this as a kid. I think I saw it on The Littles.

[carbon]

The littles? That show with those tiny, mouse/people things? Wow, I thought I was the only one.

[fungus amungus]

Yup. I used to love that show.

[finfan7]

its actually still on here. so bizarre to watch after you haven't slept.

[canida]

This is how we used to write our names on swimming goggle straps when I was a kid- it looks neat even if the letters are only slightly compressed.

[erfonz]

I saw this on the news awhile ago because college students were using this technique to cheat on tests

[AlexTheGreat]

thanks for the great idea.

[theRIAA]

oooooooh

[James M]

whoa whoops. i responded to the comment on the bottom of the list... dum dum

[James M]

the problem with a balloon, though, is the fact that you have to blow up the entire balloon to read the text. If the idea is only to transmit a message covertly, then a balloon is fine. However, if you want the message to be read with minimal detection, a rubber band is more fitting.

[modio]

the pen_is mightier for 400 alex

[zachninme]

Smart... Great pictures!

[mrmath]

I remember seeing something like this on Zoom's detective show within a show--The Bloodhound Gang--back when I was a kid. They used a walking stick and a leather belt. The belt was wrapped around the walking stick, and then the message was written so one letter was on each wrap of the belt. Since the message spanned several rows around the stick, the message was "encrypted" unless you rewrapped it around the stick.

[FrenchCrawler]

They also used to use that technique in wars. They used different sized objects at different stations, so the messages would be useless if they fell into the wrong hands.

[Shark500]

try a sharpie on a baloon

[Murf]

hehe... good job.. that sounds like it would also work.. plus a balloon has much more surface area than an elastic :P