Tracking Pedophiles By Their Typing Habits

An anonymous reader writes "Pedophiles using the internet to target youngsters could be tracked down — by the way they use a keyboard. Researchers are investigating ways to use technology which can determine a typist's age, sex and culture within ten keystrokes by monitoring their speed and rhythm." Since Phrenology hasn't exactly panned out, they gotta try something new.

oh no

[genican1]

i hope they don't mistakenly target me in my rush to type fast and make this the first post!

actually it will work

[Anonymous Coward]

they're hunt-and-peckers.

Left mousing?

[ThisIsAnonymous]

Looking for "left mousing" would be more accurate...

I know why!

[B5_geek]

Is that because they are all typing one-handed? =)

Nothing new

[thijsh]

Thats nothing, they can already measure it by the way you walk for years now... Have you ever heard of a pedometer?

Re:Foolproof

[somersault]

Congratulations - you are a pedophile! Either that or a software engineer, but we've lost your paperwork and are just going to go with pedophile to save some time.

Obligatory

[bcmm]

h|tler> HOW THE FUCK CAN YOU TELL THAT I'M 13 BY LOOKING AT WHAT I'M WRITEING? [bash.org]

If you click, you get more question marks... Damn lameness filter.

Re:I know why!

[cgomezr]

Yeah, we know, those where you input repeatedly until you get an output, right? You needn't have specified.

Re:Foolproof

[mrsteveman1]

Congratulations - you are a pedophile! Either that or a software engineer, but we've lost your paperwork and are just going to go with pedophile to save some time.

Apparently you've never seen Japanese video games, there's no difference.

Dvorak

[langelgjm]

Joke's on them - I use Dvorak!

Of course, by saying that and posting on /., I've probably narrowed down my age, sex, and culture enough already. And I've identified my residence as parents' basement. Have they accounted for the mediating effects of Cheetos consumption on typing habits?

Re:oh no

[K. S. Kyosuke]

They just might; after all, you seem to be excessively aroused by underage articles.

Re:Dvorak

[GigG]

Joke's on them - I use Dvorak!

I think that pretty much guarantees we will be seeing you on 20/20 some day.

Re:Left mousing?

[masmullin]

Im calling the FBI. You ambidexterous mouser!

Re:oh no

[thedonger]

WHAT DOES MY TYPING SPEED HAVE TO DO WITH WHO I WANT TO FUCK?

Clearly you are trying to communicate with an audience unfamiliar with lower case letters. My guess? Young boys. You sicken me.

Re:Foolproof

[YourExperiment]

I'm particularly impressed by his methods. He "hooks their fingers up to electronic sensors", then "videos, monitors and records their typing patterns, speeds and rhythms with a very accurate clock".

Perhaps he's not aware that computer keyboards are often already connected to an "advanced monitoring device", and that this device is usually equipped with a "very accurate clock".

Re:Left mousing?

[Hurricane78]

I’m left-handed, you insensitive clod!! (really!)

Headline could be far, far worse

[dbIII]

In the days of morse code the distinctive way an operator keyed in the messages was called their "fist".

Re:oh no

[Ltap]

And how do they find out what paedophiles type like in the first place? Observe them in the wild?

Re:oh no

[maxwell demon]

And how do they find out what paedophiles type like in the first place? Observe them in the wild?

Should be simple: Put CP on a server and protect it with a 10 letter captcha.
The only question is whether you'll get enough data before the police gets you. :-)

Re:oh no

[sharkey]

Nah, they just provided free typing classes to the Catholic priesthood and filmed the sessions.