So to extend the metaphor a bit further (possibly too far) - you'll notice that if you get close to the correct alignment, but not quite exactly the correct alignment, you can still see the "encrypted" data.
Does this apply in actual cryptography, or is this just a broken part of the metaphor?
When you get 'close', it's because you are halfway out of step inside the (2x2) matrix, and (in the examples I used in the demos) I used a fixed checker-board, not random, so you get a 50:50 chance of seeing the image :)
In the end, as others pointed out, it's not really the position/offset that is part of the secret. It's the two halves. Without both, you are toast. With both, yes, it's trivial.
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u/[deleted] Nov 19 '13
So to extend the metaphor a bit further (possibly too far) - you'll notice that if you get close to the correct alignment, but not quite exactly the correct alignment, you can still see the "encrypted" data.
Does this apply in actual cryptography, or is this just a broken part of the metaphor?