Newsgroups: sci.crypt
Path: msuinfo!galaxy.cps.msu.edu!gurney
From: gurney@galaxy.cps.msu.edu (Eddy J. Gurney)
Subject: Found the code, but I've been "restrained"
Message-ID: <1992Jan8.213711.2206@msuinfo.cl.msu.edu>
Originator: gurney@galaxy.cps.msu.edu
Sender: news@msuinfo.cl.msu.edu
Organization: Dept. of Computer Engineering, Michigan State University
Date: Wed, 8 Jan 92 21:37:11 GMT

Well, I found the code I was looking for which works for VCR+ codes 
of four digits or less, and got a useful piece of mail from another
person which also describes in detail how codes of 3 digits or less
work (written by the same guy who wrote the code, incidentally.)

However, I have been asked publicly on the net not to distribute
anything, by the author himself:

/* Begin included message */
In article <1992Jan7.155919.13145@msuinfo.cl.msu.edu> gurney@galaxy.cps.msu.edu (Eddy J. Gurney) writes:
|While I attempt to find the source which works for VCR+ codes of four
|digits or less, here's some introductory info that I got in reply to
|a previous query on sci.electronics back in August:

I request that, for the present, you do not distribute anything connected
with me with respect to the PlusCode numbering system.  I should also point
out that Gemstar apparently reads the net, Gemstar has every intention of
vigorously protecting its property rights, and Gemstar may consider anyone
involved in distribution of this information to have potential liability.

Ken Shirriff				shirriff@sprite.Berkeley.EDU
/* End included message */

So it looks like someone will have to crack the code without the help of
Ken's previous efforts if the PlusCode system is to be known to those of
us interested in how they did it.

The article describing how codes < 999 work was posted to rec.video and
sci.electronics on May 11, 1991, and the C code for codes < 9999 was
posted to sci.electronics and sci.crypt on May 22, 1991.  So if you
know of any sites which archive all the articles in any of those
groups, maybe you can find the information there.

Since I have the code, maybe I'll see what I can find out, and post a 
summary to the net.

Regards and good luck to anyone working on figuring it out,
Eddy

-- 
         Eddy J. Gurney  N8FPW       THE ECCENTRICITY GROUP           EEEEGGGG
gurney@cps.msu.edu     gurney@egr.msu.edu     17158EJG@MSU.BITNET     EEE G GG
   (Preferred)          (If cps bounces)      (If you HAVE to :-)     EEEEGGGG
--
   "Failures are divided into two classes-- those who thought and never did,
         and those who did and never thought."     John Charles Salak
