Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Police identify criminals from texts / The Independent, 8 September 2008
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/police-identify-criminals-from-texts-922585.html
*Criminals who use text messages are being caught out by new techniques that can identify a person from the clues they leave in a message. Language scientists believe that it is possible to identify the author of a message by analysing the spelling, grammar and syntax of the words used. Police have already used the method in high-profile murder cases but it has to be tested further before courts can accept it as routine evidence. Tim Grant, the deputy director of the Centre for Forensic Linguistics at Aston University, said that texting was similar to handwriting in that it involved the use of personal styles and choices."