Friday, 12 July 2013
Who wants to sell typewriters to the Russians?
Do you have a stack of wedges in the corner? Do you have a whole pile of plastic Brothers and Silver-Seikos sitting unused and unwanted? Here is your chance to donate them to a worthy cause and even raise some Rubles for your troubles!
Concerned with data security and leaks of confidential information, the Russian government is buying up old typewriters to use in place of computers (refer to the link below). The typosphere needs to get Putin on the phone and fast!!
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1788362/Comment:-Kremlin-turns-back-to-typewriters-to-avoid-leaks
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The funny thing is the Soviets wiretapped our IBM electric typewriters in the 80s and got supposedly secure information--they made sure all their most important documents were typed on manual typewriters!
ReplyDeleteThat's right. Soviet manual typewriters stationed in embassies were stored in reinforced, locked containers and stored in locked rooms at the end of the day. No one was allowed to put the typewriter away without supervision. The typewriters were sent in diplomatic pouches to avoid being meddled with.
DeleteActually, I have a Cyrillic typewriter if they are desperate. And I mean... really desperate, as it is a Hermes Rocket, and not the best at typing.
ReplyDeleteyeah, saw this on SMH, where they used a slightly nice image:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/security-it/kremlin-turns-back-to-typewriters-to-avoid-cyber-leaks-exposed-by-edward-snowden-20130712-hv0ww.html
It would be even cooler if Russia started manufacturing typewriters. Although, given the build quality of the Lada Niva, I'm now not sure how good an idea this would be.
ReplyDeleteSimilar to the way they still make and use tube radio equipment. Tubes will survive an EMP while solid state devices will not (unless properly stored away in protective boxes).
ReplyDeleteAnother reason to use a typewriter: it is more secure than a PC. Then I knew that ever since I first heard of a computer.
I do home they want Cyrillic typewriters and not QWERTY ones as that will all the more drive up the already inflated on line (especially on Ebay) typewriter prices.
Nick & Ryan- Wire tapping Selectrics? Wow! So I guess they may not want your wedges then.
ReplyDeleteRino- Agreed, SMH much nicer, tho of all the millions of potential models to use in such an article, I'm a little disappointed with both.
Scott- Perfect! I'll bet they'll want at least a few Cyrillic typers, I'll ask Vlad specifically when I speak to him next.
Teeritz- my friend said his grandma used to drive a Lada Niva and swore by it as the best car in the world. I personally have heard they're noisy, vibrate like a motor-mower and have a jumpy and unforgiving clutch. Though considering how many example's of working 80's Niva's you still see about, means they must have had something going for them...
Bill- Amen to that.