Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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Hidden Messages

Tell them how to get lost, in a nice letter.
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I propose a word processor plug in that takes the body of text, and introduces words and spaces to form a text stereogram (see link).

The letter you type might say: "Thank you for your kind letter of job refusal. I'd like to say what a pleasure it was to spend an afternoon with you. I don't think the interview was a waste of both your and my time. I really think your tests were right to show me up as a cretin of the highest (lowest) order. Yours Sincerely" But the person reading it (with a Monday morning stare) would see the words "Bog off shorty" and "Stick your job" stick out from the page.

I've no idea if this is possible, by the way... As the WP ought to ensure that the sentence still made grammatical sense after word and space insertions.

(Inspired by [kbecker]'s Stereogram address)

Dub, Aug 23 2005

(??) Text Stereogram http://www.lce.hut....ikalliom/stereo.txt
The words "stop wasting your life" and "get a life" stick out [Dub, Aug 23 2005]

Stereogram Address Stereogram_20address
The [kbecker] idea Dub referred to. [junglefish, Aug 23 2005]

Anagram Genius http://www.anagramgenius.com/
A truly superb anagram generator! [Dub, Aug 23 2005]

Read every second line http://www.fakecrap...recommendation.html
[not_only_but_also, Aug 24 2005]

Hmmm https://spectrum.ie...ation-in-plain-text
[Dub, Jun 01 2018]

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       I think this is a cool idea, but I'm not sure it is possible to create a paragraph that would work and also be coherent. With the example link you provided, the background field (text surrounding the key words) consists of repeated nonsense words. These are necessary to allow the eye to align in the reverse-cross that's required to see depth in the image. If you used actual English sentences, none of the words would repeat enough to align over each other, so the viewer's eyes wouldn't achieve a lock.   

       The only way I can think of to get around this problem is to make the background of the letter itself a repeating-pattern image that would allow a lock. Putting text over this image might disrupt the lock, though.
junglefish, Aug 23 2005
  

       Added a link for you, Dub.
junglefish, Aug 23 2005
  

       [junglefish] Ta.
Dub, Aug 23 2005
  

       Hmmm, I thought there'd be a problem, then I wondered, if the WP was clever enough to perhaps pick sentences and phrases from past documents, perhaps that'd be possible...   

       Now I'm starting to think that perhaps some setting/value to hint to the plug-in about how hard it should try might be in order: If you're telling some company to bog off, well, then it doesn't matter if it doesn't make sense... Who cares? If, however, you're being super sneaky, you can tell the plug to try harder: In which case it trawls old docs / the web for the 'right' sentences... They still probably won't make sense, but they'd probably be grammatically correct.   

       Ever seen Anagram Genius? That's got lots of clever options?
Dub, Aug 23 2005
  

       Express yourself! -
zeno, Aug 23 2005
  

       [zeno]Didn't you mean to post this to the [Tit Head] thread?
Dub, Aug 23 2005
  

       "Steganereography?" Cute. But, yeah, the letter would have to read as if the author used speech input and had a severe stutter.
jutta, Aug 23 2005
  

       couldn't the hidden message be in another colour - say white on a white background?
benfrost, Aug 27 2005
  

       [benfrost] hmm. Written in the spaces between the words... I like that! I'll give myself a croissant (if that's not illegal behaviour on the HB... I never saw it in the rules) - Just invert the paper-colour to read.
Dub, Aug 27 2005
  

       I don't think people need more tools to be hipocritical. If you REALLY think you're entitled to insult someone just because s/he didn't take the job you were offering, then do it. Say it out loud.   

       I think the reason why people would come up with something like this is because they know they have no right to be angry, but they still want to be.   

       What a waste of energy.
Pericles, Aug 28 2005
  

       [Pericles]I agree...to-wit the example - I, nor anyone else has the God given right to being accepted in to a firm/for a job... But sometimes it's nice to get something off your chest - Much like you did, I suspect. Anyway, my favorite way of dealing with a personnel dept that can't be bothered to send a prompt letter telling you that you didn't get a job (normally you have to phone them to ask) is to send them a letter saying - "Thanks for the job offer. I've arranged moving in to a new flat in the area. I look forward to starting with the firm 0830 Monday. I'm going yachting and will be incommunicado till then." - That usually wrong-foots 'em.
Dub, Aug 28 2005
  

       I'd like to be able to do this, but as a less-than-obvious watermark to otherwise blank paper. I could thereupon write whatever I chose in relative surety that my recipient would be affected by the hidden message. Since the issue would be subject to plausible denial ("Huh?" "Whatever") I could remain free of aspersions of naming someone 'chowder head' or 'piece meat' but likely leave them put off by the implication.
reensure, Aug 28 2005
  

       //But sometimes it's nice to get something off your chest//   

       Oh, certainly it is. And don't get me wrong, I LOVE sarcasm. The thing is, if you didn't get the job, there must be a good reason and people are entitled to their opinions. Sometimes we just happen to think the world revolves around us but, truth is, we're not THAT important. When we're not given a job, it's not personal. Most of the things that are done "to us" are not personal, really. I mean,honestly, even after an interview, how much does the interviewer know about you?   

       Stop taking things personally and you'll live a happier life. Trust me. It works.
Pericles, Aug 28 2005
  

       BTW: Windows XP desktop background 'Coffee Bean', is a stereogram. This might explain some things... I wonder if MS have shares in coffee plantations?   

       [Pericles]Alright... Forget the job. You didn't want it anyway. So, you're writing a love letter to somebody, but you don't want someone else to intercept the message. A secret message. A piece of art. Still a waste of energy? Probably. (Hang on, you don't work in a personel dept, do you? - OOPS )   

       You'll be saying you use Word's grammar checker next! Hang-on, that's an argument against...better shut up now...   

       And, how dare you tell me to stop taking things personally! (sic :) )
Dub, Aug 29 2005
  

       //BTW: Windows XP desktop background 'Coffee Bean', is a stereogram.// Not on my computer, it isn't. I have made stereograms out of similar tiles, with a little work.   

       If you want to insult people without them realizing it, you only need to be creative in your writing. "I cannot express in words the amount of appreciation I have for this idea."
baconbrain, Aug 30 2005
  

       As soon as I started reading the idea, I knew the reason for the bump. I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees new stuff and thinks of old Halfbakery ideas to relate them to.
notexactly, Jun 03 2018
  


 

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