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Unread 20-10-2008, 23:43
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dtengineering dtengineering is offline
Teaching Teachers to Teach Tech
AKA: Jason Brett
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Re: FRC 2009 Game Manual?

It is likely a moot point given the security of the key, but I don't neccesarily agree with the concept that it is "not GP to try to break the key".... at least not in Canada... not yet.

First of all, it is clear that the GDC gives hints, however cryptic, to encourage speculation over the nature of the game. In the past, those hints have even included reference to the encryption code. If attempts to discover the nature of the game, or the encryption code, were frowned upon by the Game Design Committee, I can't see why they would choose to encourage them with relevant hints. (Well, aside from the fact that it provides them with a brief interlude of humour before the onslaught of Q&A forums questions start pouring in.)

Secondly the encrypted manuals are released openly. Cracking the manuals does not require intrusive or damaging hacking.

Thirdly, if someone were to figure out how to crack a high security code of this nature in two days, that single achievement would outweigh every other technical innovation and development ever made as a result of FRC... combined. The commercial, political and mathematical impact would be pheonomonal.

However, I do have to add that it may be illegal (and thus non-GP behaviour) in the USA to attempt to crack the code due to the provisions of the Digital Millenium Copyright Act. I'm not familiar with all the provisions of the act, but do know that there are restrictions on the attempt (even a futile attempt?) to crack a code protecting a copyrighted work or distributing software to that end.

However DMCA does not apply in Canada (although our govenment is proposing something similar, but in some ways worse) or other parts of the world... so given that it is still legal to try to break a code in Canada, and the GDC actively encourages teams to try to figure out the nature of the game in advance of kick off -- specifically integrating the password in to the hints -- I'm not sure why it would inherently be non-GP behaviour for an individual or team not covered by DMCA to attempt to break the code.

It would spoil the fun of kickoff for those who knew the game in advance, but they would be too busy publishing in Nature, and/or explaining exactly what they did and how to their national security agencies to really worry about that. The FRC kickoff would receive more mass media attention than it ever has... likely FIRST and all FRC teams would benefit greatly from this kind of media attention.

Most likely those attempting to crack the code will learn a little about encryption and a lot about futility. But I don't automatically assume that their actions would be either ungracious or unprofessional.

Jason

P.S. Ironically, perhaps, I would view an attempt to open a KOP case before kickoff in order to get a head start as non-GP behaviour... but no one encourages that, and it would require damaging part of the KOP.

Last edited by dtengineering : 20-10-2008 at 23:55.
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