PGP and others team up to renovate Bletchley Park

A group of companies, led by PGP, have ponied up a bunch of money to renovate and restore Bletchley Park, the crumbling site of the birthplace of modern cryptography. There's a lot of charm in the present, mouldering campus, but I can only imagine what a nice shot of cash could do for the place.

The fund-raising campaign will be led by cryptography provider PGP, together with IBM and other technology firms. Phil Dunkelberger, chief executive of PGP, told ZDNet UK in a video interview that the group of companies would be making donations to repair the buildings at Bletchley Park, including the National Museum of Computing, and would be calling for other organizations to get involved. Photos: A 'Cipher Challenge' for Colossus
"We're calling attention (to the fact that) Bletchley is falling into disrepair, and that, probably, the world owes a debt of gratitude to that place," Dunkelberger said.

PGP, IBM help Bletchley Park raise funds (via /.)

Discussion

Take a look at this

#1 posted by nic

, September 9, 2008 12:54 AM

I met a woman who was a WREN at Bletchley Park during the War. The 'emphasis' on secrecy was so strong that she had powerful nightmares and insomnia well into the 1970s. Her central fear was that she would talk in her sleep and reveal her part in such a high level secret project. Family holidays in a beach house were traumatic, due to frequent guests and open plan sleeping arrangements.

The Cold War and the Rosenbergs only heightened the fear that she would basically get black bagged and disappear.

She underwent pointless therapy for her anxieties (the true cause of which could not be explored) and only told her husband and family what was going on several years after books and documentaries on Ultra started to appear in the mid 80s.

We will never know the half of the social history of Bletchley Park.

#2 posted by Beanolini , September 9, 2008 1:48 AM

The IBM/PGP donation is a stingy £57000! The British Computer Society donated more than that!

#3 posted by Thinkerer , September 9, 2008 3:45 AM

If there were ever a chance for indolent internet gazillionaires to pay it back a little (and maybe get some recognition amongst the uber-geekery), this would be it. Where are Microsoft, Paypal et al. (are you out there, Bruce Schneier & BT?)who depend on encryption for their daily bread?

#4 posted by Beanolini , September 9, 2008 4:51 AM

#3, Thinkerer:

As for Microsoft, Bletchley Park has already been turned down by the Gates Foundation on the grounds that it is "not relevant to internet technology".

UK readers may like to sign this petition on the Government's official petitions website.

#5 posted by Frank_in_Virginia , September 9, 2008 5:18 AM

I'm in for £50. When I retired from the US Army in 2001, I was the last trained/schooled US Army Cryptanalyst in the service. We all owe a debt to the brave men and women who worked in "Breaking the Code" and helped shorten WWII.

boingboing HOWTO become an Army cryptanalyst at home

#6 posted by Bloo , September 9, 2008 6:04 AM

How about updating this post to contain a link to an online donation site?

Make sure, of course, that it uses SSL :-)

#7 posted by mdh , September 9, 2008 8:02 AM

I expect they'll do a pretty good job of protecting the data center.

#8 posted by Frank_in_Virginia , September 9, 2008 9:23 AM

Link to PGP's Web Site for Donations

A Donate button on this page leads to the PayPay site. Donations are in the name of CodesAndCiphersHeritageTrust

From the Site: The National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park needs our donations to continue providing public access to Colossus and other exhibits. The Museum receives no government funding and relies on the generosity of people like you. Donations of £50 or more receive a limited edition t-shirt.

#9 posted by Frank_in_Virginia , September 9, 2008 9:35 AM

Please allow me to correct my last post. The site the Donate button is linked to is PayPal, not PayPay.