Register a SA Forums Account here!
JOINING THE SA FORUMS WILL REMOVE THIS BIG AD, THE ANNOYING UNDERLINED ADS, AND STUPID INTERSTITIAL ADS!!!

You can: log in, read the tech support FAQ, or request your lost password. This dumb message (and those ads) will appear on every screen until you register! Get rid of this crap by registering your own SA Forums Account and joining roughly 150,000 Goons, for the one-time price of $9.95! We charge money because it costs us money per month for bills, and since we don't believe in showing ads to our users, we try to make the money back through forum registrations.
Akumu
Apr 24, 2003

As a suggestion for spicing up the code (if you want to make it a little trickier for him), you could rotate each letter ninety degrees at a time.



Of course you'd need some kind of clue on how to decipher it - maybe arrows forming 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4 of a circle along the top?

I don't know, maybe that's too complicated.

Bantaras posted:

Yeah, it's hard to proof read in code. You get towards the end and you really don't wanna put anymore time into it.
I found myself jus leaving the things you mentioned for the funny enqrish factor.
(missed the preposition)

I always check to make sure my participle doesn't dangle though.

If you're just writing the messages plain jane, you could always make a font out of your code. Then you could just type the messages normally and convert it to the code font once you're done.

Akumu fucked around with this message at 07:03 on Apr 8, 2008

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

Grandpas a Racist
Mar 26, 2007

by T. Finninho
Someone buy his son an account.

My parents would do things like this, but with Zbots instead. I'd wake up, and the house was covered in marching Zbots.

Oh, that's strange, they'd say.

I was immediately convinced.

Bless you.

Bantaras
Nov 26, 2005

judge not, lest ye be judged.

Akumu posted:


If you're just writing the messages plain jane, you could always make a font out of your code. Then you could just type the messages normally and convert it to the code font once you're done.

This can be done? Speak truth and teach us o wise mage.
cutting and pasting to MSWord gets tedious.

The Hoobit
Jan 5, 2007

Greatest little Hoobit of them all

Smash Lampjaw posted:

Another great thing about incorporating the Artemis Fowl books is that it'll give you another code to work with. I'd suggest burying the first book, and slip a message written in the Artemis Fowl code in with the message/map you give him.

It'll give him even more encouragement to read the book, and to make his own key, since the book doesn't provide a direct one.

edit: Oh, you're a great dad and this is a great idea.

This is a WAY cooler idea than the cat, I think. Giving animals as presents is generally a bad idea, anyway. I think if you are going to get a cat, the whole family should be a part of the decision and selection process.. you know, since cats live a good 15 years and all. If you still want to run with the cat idea, maybe get him the book, and leave a message in it about how HE must choose a partner or a sidekick, and maybe the address of your local animal shelter? That would be so awesome :3:

Akumu
Apr 24, 2003

Bantaras posted:

This can be done? Speak truth and teach us o wise mage.
cutting and pasting to MSWord gets tedious.

Look for "The Font Creator Program 4," it's shareware but highly functional without registering. I've used it in the past. You can paste in rasterized images for each glyph (character) and it will form a vector glyph automatically. It'll be a bit of work to get the font off the ground but it should save you some time afterwards.

Quandary
Jan 29, 2008

The Hoobit posted:

This is a WAY cooler idea than the cat, I think. Giving animals as presents is generally a bad idea, anyway. I think if you are going to get a cat, the whole family should be a part of the decision and selection process.. you know, since cats live a good 15 years and all. If you still want to run with the cat idea, maybe get him the book, and leave a message in it about how HE must choose a partner or a sidekick, and maybe the address of your local animal shelter? That would be so awesome :3:

The image of an 8 year old with a little kitten sidekick is the definition of :3:

webster876
Aug 4, 2007
That's so cute!!!! I used to send my little brother (rss feeder) fake mail from the "Jr. FBI" when he was little.

I never did tell him the truth. This will probably shatter his dreams, finding out now, all these years later.

Genesplicer
Oct 19, 2002

I give your invention the worst grade imaginable: An A-minus-minus!

Total Clam
You are an amazingly cool father! Good on you!

Years ago I designed an archaeological dig for my 7th graders. I designed the entire extinct culture, all the artifacts, everything. I also designed a written language, much like the one you did, and wrote a holy book for the people. 30 pages, single spaced, Arial 12 pt. Then I painstakingly transliterated the text into the language. I also made other documents with the language, messages, letters to loved ones, etc. I divided up all the documents and artifacts into 5 different dig sites (one for each period) and let them dig.

I figured that the artifacts would be the most interesting part. I was wrong. Every kid wanted to translate the language, once they broke the code. The documents were prized possessions, and the kids basically ignored anything without text. It was amazing.

Keep up the good work with your kid. He will remember this forever!

Ramen Pride!
Jan 13, 2001

Bantaras posted:

Oh, very cool! After all this is over he will defiantly have that book in his hands! Thank you!

I just hope you're okay with Mulch Diggums. He poops torpedoes.

Your kid will love the books.

HornyBoy123
Mar 4, 2005
I'm going with the whole "agent" idea where you get him fun presents and when he's older and can appreciate things tell him how it was you all along. (If he doesn't figure it out on his own, which I doubt he'll remember it later in life enough to actively think about it. My dad did things like this every once in a while).

Also, you should try telling him not to tell ANYBODY about his secret mission via an encoded message and to hide any further messages under his bed, then try to get him to squeal about it by tickling him or something, and have the next message incorporate it, saying something like "Strike One Agent, we've been listening to you!" Hahahaha, that'd be great.

HornyBoy123 fucked around with this message at 07:42 on Apr 8, 2008

pandafan
Jul 19, 2007
I was kidding about burying an animal, incase anyone thought I meant it...
Congrats on your future unburied pet though! Also, children love candy and treasure. I recommend those chocolate gold foil wrapped coins, and maybe fools gold and glass gems as treasure. You should also hire a homeless person to pretend to be a pirate and steal it from your child. Then you should fight the pirate/hobo and win the treasure back!*


*JUST KIDDING gosh!

hellbastard
Apr 4, 2006

Stalinist Leanings posted:



first person to say anything about ovaltine is a huge human being

That's loving brilliant.

Power Dips
Feb 6, 2008
hey bobby malone, it's good to have you home, a couple months on the couch while you figure things out, won't do you wrong.
This is so cute!

I will now head to my lovely temp job with a smile on my face :)

Brimstone Inquiry
Jan 21, 2007


I'm going to steal this idea for my nephew (7)

opaopa13
Jul 25, 2007

EB: i'm in a rocket pack and i am about to blast off into space. it should be sweet.
This is awesome. I had a book of codes as a kid, and I'd give messages to my mom and dad and ask them to try and crack them. I don't think my dad ever got any, but my mom figured out a few by realizing I rarely had anything to put in the messages besides, "I love you".

If you want to switch it up, you could send a coded message saying that the sender is worried the code may be compromised, and send a puzzle instead. Maybe something simple, like a grid and a list of coordinates to color in (I'm sure he'd ask you about the strange list of pairs of numbers) to create a few words or some monochrome pixel art, Picross-style. If you REALLY want to drive him crazy, send him the empty or partially filled-in grid one day, then the coordinate list a day or two later.

You could also try things like making your own jigsaw puzzle, or writing a message on the back of a pre-made one. In High School, for a treasure hunt, a friend wrote a locker number and the code to the combination lock across a series of small, plastic, farm animal toys, then left clues for figuring out the order of the animals. You could probably adapt that idea pretty easily. I'm a fan of tactile puzzles, I suppose.


And I have to agree with The Hoobit about being leery of the idea of giving an animal as a gift -- it sets a bad precedent, if you put animals in the same category as objects. If you do it (and it is a really cute idea :3: ), I'd make sure to explain to your son that it was the result of a well-reasoned decision, not a whim, and that the cat is your family's responsibility now.

captain gaydar
Jan 2, 2005
Can you post translations?

Tostito
Sep 5, 2007

life is good

Stalinist Leanings posted:



first person to say anything about ovaltine is a huge human being


That is hilarious!


This is a really fun idea. Although, once he finds out it was you all along, he might react as if he just found out Santa Claus isn't real. Or he'll just love you more. Either way, its something he'll be telling his friends about for a long time.

Colin Mockery
Jun 24, 2007
Rawr



opaopa13 posted:


And I have to agree with The Hoobit about being leery of the idea of giving an animal as a gift -- it sets a bad precedent, if you put animals in the same category as objects. If you do it (and it is a really cute idea :3: ), I'd make sure to explain to your son that it was the result of a well-reasoned decision, not a whim, and that the cat is your family's responsibility now.

Yeah, that's a good point; I like the other poster's idea about instead of just giving him an animal, giving him a "you're old enough to choose a sidekick" note and a book/some information about cats + the address to the nearest animal shelter. That makes it more of a shared-decision, and the sidekick angle will serve to anthropomorphize the cat and give it more standing as a being, rather than an object.

Also, sidekicks are pretty drat cool.

Polyaegos
Dec 16, 2005

Try getting somebody at the post office or grocery store, etc. in on it as a "secret contact" that can pass along level 2 messages, or something to that effect.

Fight Club Sandwich
Apr 29, 2006

you want a piece of me???
^^^It's a fine line between letting the local shopkeep in on it and sending him the message "it's okay to talk to strangers" 8 years old is like 2nd grade.

Games like these are great ways to trick kids into learning critical thinking skills.

Are you bilingual/near a border at all? Try the next one in a different language and see if he's smart enough to recognize/babelfish it. Or do it backwards. Or do it with no vowels. If you really want to get into it, just buy a PO Box and have him mail answers back his his mystery benefactor.

Also, be sure to make one of the prizes sports tickets or a baseball glove or something, so he doesn't end up a total dorkus malorkus.

Fight Club Sandwich fucked around with this message at 10:20 on Apr 8, 2008

drunkill
Sep 25, 2007

me @ ur posting
Fallen Rib
This is great. Don't try to over complicate it. Keep things simple, stuff around the house or maybe just down the street, if he has to look for things (so you can watch over him)

Try give him a book in the next week or two, and with it a message saying they'll contact him later on. Mayb get him to post another letter off to 'the agency' when you can then edit or 'stamp' as if they've gotten the top secret stuff from him.

This is a great idea :3

victorious
Jul 2, 2007

As a youth I prayed, "Give me chastity and continence, but not yet."
This reminds me of a book I used to love when I was in primary school (mid-'90s): Alvin's Secret Code by Clifford B. Hicks. It was one of the most popular books among boys my age, its about a kid and his friends who learn about all different types of codes, both made up and ones that are used in real life, all over the place; and how to decode them. Even though it came out in freakin' 1963, I'm sure your kid would be into it, even though it is a little dated. Come to think of it, I'd definitely read it again if I ever found it...

brylcreem
Oct 29, 2007

by FactsAreUseless

victorious posted:

This reminds me of a book I used to love when I was in primary school (mid-'90s): Alvin's Secret Code by Clifford B. Hicks. It was one of the most popular books among boys my age, its about a kid and his friends who learn about all different types of codes, both made up and ones that are used in real life, all over the place; and how to decode them. Even though it came out in freakin' 1963, I'm sure your kid would be into it, even though it is a little dated. Come to think of it, I'd definitely read it again if I ever found it...
Here you go.

AceClown
Sep 11, 2005

Buy a crappy old book and hollow the middle out and put an old cassette tape in there.

On the tape have the voice (use a changer program) say "NUMBERS EQUAL LETTERS" then have the voice read out strings of numbers, so "hello" would be "8,5,12,12,15,BREAK"

Then mail the book to him.

Lankiveil
Feb 23, 2001

Forums Minimalist

AceClown posted:

Buy a crappy old book and hollow the middle out and put an old cassette tape in there.

On the tape have the voice (use a changer program) say "NUMBERS EQUAL LETTERS" then have the voice read out strings of numbers, so "hello" would be "8,5,12,12,15,BREAK"

Then mail the book to him.

If you do this, make it sound like a numbers station. You can stimulate his mind and freak him out at the same time!

Super-NintendoUser
Jan 16, 2004

COWABUNGERDER COMPADRES
Soiled Meat
I run an test asterisk PBX at my house. If you were to register a SIP hosting account, it could point to my PBX, and I could make a sort of spy hotline for him if you'd like. You could record messages, give him codes that he'd have to dial and all that. It's not hard to set up.

I don't mind working on that for you, because I need some projects to practice with anyways. Junction Networks is a good one that only charges like 9 cents a minute for calls, it'd be cheap for you and good experience for me. You can get a local number and everything.

Bantaras
Nov 26, 2005

judge not, lest ye be judged.

AceClown posted:

Buy a crappy old book and hollow the middle out and put an old cassette tape in there.

On the tape have the voice (use a changer program) say "NUMBERS EQUAL LETTERS" then have the voice read out strings of numbers, so "hello" would be "8,5,12,12,15,BREAK"

Then mail the book to him.

Holy Carp You are beautiful.
Anyone know a "HOW TO" on hollowing out a book?

also, if anyone has time on their hands and wants something to do, you want to make the code into a font? I'm not sure I'm savy enough but I plan to try it later today at work. I wonder if I could "Plant" the book in our local library and send him there to look for it. I guess i'd have to do it pretty close to the time he goes though, or some 70 year old man will find it and be thinking he'd discovered some Russian spy ring.

Super-NintendoUser
Jan 16, 2004

COWABUNGERDER COMPADRES
Soiled Meat

Bantaras posted:

Holy Carp You are beautiful.
Anyone know a "HOW TO" on hollowing out a book?

also, if anyone has time on their hands and wants something to do, you want to make the code into a font? I'm not sure I'm savy enough but I plan to try it later today at work. I wonder if I could "Plant" the book in our local library and send him there to look for it. I guess i'd have to do it pretty close to the time he goes though, or some 70 year old man will find it and be thinking he'd discovered some Russian spy ring.

1) Get an old book from a library book sale
2) Get a dremel
3) Cut hole with dremel

Just ask the librarian to help you with the book setup, she won't mind, I'm sure. Just as long as you don't live in Upper Saddle River NJ, the librarians are real uptight here.

AceClown
Sep 11, 2005

Just open the book a good few pages in then draw round the tape with a sharpie, then take a craft knife and start slicing those pages up, cutting out the squares following the sharpie mark (shouldn't take too long, you can go through quite a few pages at a time) then pop the tape in and BAM you have an awesome spy book.

Staggy
Mar 20, 2008

Said little bitch, you can't fuck with me if you wanted to
These expensive
These is red bottoms
These is bloody shoes


As for the Artemis Fowl books, I think the first few have separate codes in each. You could use the first for messages, then when he's finished reading the book send a message saying "Well done! Here is your next mission briefing!" and give him the second.

url
Apr 23, 2007

internet gnuru
Outstanding work OP.

I wish my dad was this cool.
He was cool, but not code-writing & posting it to me cool.

--
If your struggling to copy paste the images into word, you could make a webpage.
I'd suggest you build a dirty macro in word.

Record yourself moving one character forward, then paste in the closing and opening html for an image.

i.e. [arrow forward] paste ".jpg><src="

That should wrap each character with <src="CHARACTER.jpg">

To save your self some effort, make sure to build a blank space .jpg to be included also.

edit: do save the macro to a keystroke to make it superfast.

I'm sure any number of goons will be happy to host it for you, I would.
I'm sure a better goon than me could offer you a cooler domain to host on though.

--
Great work .A kitty as a reward for his hard work is something he'll never forget.
I fully aim to do this for my children when I get round to having them.
Inspirational, congratulations.

The cat needs to be called cipher/enigma/steg or something equally crytologically based.

Ritsuko
Jun 6, 2004
biteme
About the best thing I can remember my parents did for me (probably mostly my mum) was make a treasure hunt type thing on Christmas. There was one map with clues that lead to a present, then attached to that was another clue to where the next present was hidden, etc.

SublimeDelusions
Jun 19, 2005
Dentyne Fire + Dentyne Ice = End of World?
This makes me wish that my parents were this cool when I was younger. They never did anything remotely fun for me. They worked too much..

I'm all for the hollowed out book idea. I would also go with the voice changer program, or that one tool in microsoft word that says whatever you type. Something tells me that he'd really love going to the library and getting the book. Bonus if you work it out with the librarian to have it held behind the desk for him. Coded exchange phrases are a bit cheesy, but I'm sure a little kid would love it. Plus, if the library story thread is any example, the librarian would love the break too.

I really want to see how this turns out now.

SublimeDelusions fucked around with this message at 14:11 on Apr 8, 2008

timp
Sep 19, 2007

Everything is in my control
Lipstick Apathy

Ritsuko posted:

About the best thing I can remember my parents did for me (probably mostly my mum) was make a treasure hunt type thing on Christmas. There was one map with clues that lead to a present, then attached to that was another clue to where the next present was hidden, etc.

My mom used to do this for me, too, except on Easter. She's put clues in order that rhymed until the last one brought me to the final prize, an Easter basket as well as a "big prize" (like a bike or something). And then after that we'd have a kickass egg hunt.

It was really cool setting all that up for my niece this year, but it also made me feel really old.

oh and op is a good dad and all that

Rupert Buttermilk
Apr 15, 2007

🚣RowboatMan: ❄️Freezing time🕰️ is an old P.I. 🥧trick...

A Glum Plum posted:

He's eight, so maybe get him something that you could pass off as spy equipment, say a small flashlight, pair of sunglasses, hollowed out hardcover book, and an alarm clock, or whatever, and hide them around the house. Have the message say something like "You have been accepted into the _________ Agency, Agent "his name). We have placed your materials around your safe house for free usage." or something like that, and have him look for them by solving the code. I'm sure there are plenty of stores that would sell spy kits or something made for children.

My god, do this! Seriously. Post results.

I think the best thing about this is that he'll probably end up doing this for his kid when he's a dad. A good example of a cycle.

AceClown posted:

Buy a crappy old book and hollow the middle out and put an old cassette tape in there.

On the tape have the voice (use a changer program) say "NUMBERS EQUAL LETTERS" then have the voice read out strings of numbers, so "hello" would be "8,5,12,12,15,BREAK"

Then mail the book to him.

I can definitely help with this! I love stuff like this, and would gladly do what I could to make it sound 'official and government-like'. Although it'd probably easier all around using a CD. If it's a large book, you could definitely do this. OR just put it in a manilla envelope.

Let me know. I could even post a sample.

Rupert Buttermilk fucked around with this message at 14:53 on Apr 8, 2008

AceClown
Sep 11, 2005

Rupert Buttermilk posted:

Although it'd probably easier all around using a CD. If it's a large book, you could definitely do this. OR just put it in a manilla envelope.

Thought about this when I came up with it and I think theres really something oldschool and spy like about "secret data tapes", plus he can sit rewinding it easier than on CD player.

Super-NintendoUser
Jan 16, 2004

COWABUNGERDER COMPADRES
Soiled Meat
No love for my spy hotline idea?

davidspackage
May 16, 2007

Nap Ghost

Ericcorp posted:

1) Get an old book from a library book sale
2) Get a dremel
3) Cut hole with dremel

Just ask the librarian to help you with the book setup, she won't mind, I'm sure. Just as long as you don't live in Upper Saddle River NJ, the librarians are real uptight here.

I tried hollowing out an old phonebook as a kid, but that really didn't work out. Pages and cover are so weak, it just ends up being a jagged hole.

It probably works better with a hardcover book with rough paper pages. I still think ideally the pages would be stuck together so it's more like a box when you open it, but I've no idea how to do that easily.

And of course, ideally the book would be somehow related to spying, mysteries, or whatever you want to go with.

All Pig Be Slay
Mar 26, 2002

Speaking of mothers, let me give that oatmeal some brown sugar.

phoenix012345 posted:

Show him this thread.

But seriously, this is awesome and I wish my father did things like this when I was a kid.

You are a great dad. Teach him to use his mind and enjoy it. I wish my parents made this kind of effort.

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

Bantaras
Nov 26, 2005

judge not, lest ye be judged.

url posted:

If your struggling to copy paste the images into word, you could make a webpage.
I'd suggest you build a dirty macro in word.


If making a Font doesn't work, I'll try this. Not sure if I have the skill/brains though. I know just enough MSWord to get what I need done. Never bothered learning the other bells and whistles

Ericcorp posted:

1) Get an old book from a library book sale
2) Get a dremel
3) Cut hole with dremel

I have a Dremel and some cutting discs. I can do this.

Ericcorp posted:

I run an test asterisk PBX at my house. If you were to register a SIP hosting account, it could point to my PBX, and I could make a sort of spy hotline for him if you'd like.

Wow! many thanks! This might fall into the realm of impressing a girlfriend and leading her to a hidden engagement ring, or maybe plane tickets to Hawaii. I think it might be a bit beyond the eight year old category. Nevertheless it's an awesome suggestion and offer!

victorious posted:

This reminds me of a book I used to love when I was in primary school (mid-'90s): Alvin's Secret Code by Clifford B. Hicks.

Oh man I have to get this book too. He loves to read. This is getting expensive. BTW, for some of you guys on page one, forget the Wii. I am still recovering from Christmas! It was a pretty cool idea though but a bit beyond my reach at this point.

genesplicer posted:

Years ago I designed an archaeological dig for my 7th graders. I designed the entire extinct culture, all the artifacts, everything. I also designed a written language, much like the one you did, and wrote a holy book for the people. 30 pages, single spaced, Arial 12 pt.

That sounds like you must have put hours and hours into that project. I know because of the obscene amount of time it takes me to come up with one note.