On Mr.

Whitfield Diffies presentation

Let me start by saying that I do not think I have done an essay about a video presentation
before, so this is definitely something new for me.
On the topic of this video, I found not only educative and informative, but also incredibly
entertaining. What I mean by that is that the subject of cryptography is a very interesting one and also
Mr. Whitfield Diffie, as well as the man introducing him at the start of the video, entertained the
audience with jokes from time to time (I would almost go as far as to say he seemed detached from his
presentation at times). The way Mr. Diffie was introduced (as one of the main figures of public
cryptography) made me look forward to the presentation from the very start. Mr. Whitfield Diffies
attitude and spirit thorough the presentation made it very pleasant to watch and listen to. The way he
held his lecture made it indeed very interesting and one could see he was very well informed on the
subject.
I was captivated from the start of the video, from the way he emphasized the way radio
changed cryptographic systems the way we knew them and vice versa (how cryptographic systems
affected radio transmissions). Thorough the presentation he was able to make it very clear how public
keys have affected cryptography since introduction, especially the aspect of confidentiality. The
historical aspect of cryptography was especially well emphasized, sustained with concrete examples, for
instance the way codes worked during the First World War. Some nice analogies between some aspects
cryptographic systems and certain situations are provided in order to make it easier for the audience to
understand the contents of the lecture. Also, the stories from his own life experience that Mr. Diffie
narrated here and there added a nice aspect to his presentation. I was actually a little surprised to see
how Mr. Diffie was so fluent in his speech and how he rarely, if ever, took any unnecessary or avoidable
pauses.
To sum it up, I really enjoyed this presentation thorough its duration and it has made me realize
some things about the history of cryptography, about the importance of Public Keys and not only. After
seeing this, I would actually be interested in seeing more of Mr. Diffies presentations on this matter, if
there any available.