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I've been trying to write some emails to my friends, but something is going horribly wrong! It's as though the devil himself has hold of me: everything I type comes out as gibberish! The first email I wrote looked like this:

\ehsy dhsll er fo yhid errkrnf\/ \lry'd ho domrehrtr inyrtrdyinh\2

The second one came out like this:

U fauk ti cinoregebd tiyr kast enauk, Wgt> Nt qyestuib us wgt, Kiij deeokt,

The third one was worst of all!

\drr tiy ib \ygytdfst\2 \giorgykkt er;kk skk vr ygrtr ygud yunr,

Can you help me to decipher these emails so that my friends don't think I'm a raving lunatic? (Well, I am a raving lunatic, but I wasn't trying to type gibberish just now!)

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    $\begingroup$ This puzzle suffers from localization issues. On my keyboard the last message would have been <drr tiy ib <ygytdfst<2 <giorgykkt erækk skk vr ygrtr ygud yunr, $\endgroup$
    – Taemyr
    Jun 9, 2015 at 12:30
  • $\begingroup$ So now we know you aren't a follower of Dvorak....interesting.. $\endgroup$
    – Mark N
    Jun 9, 2015 at 14:07
  • $\begingroup$ @Taemyr You have an "æ" on your keyboard? Are you Norwegian by any chance? $\endgroup$
    – Rand al'Thor
    Jun 9, 2015 at 17:31
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    $\begingroup$ More seriously, I realised this localisation thing might be a problem, but wasn't sure how to resolve it without giving away the solution! I couldn't have said "I'm using a UK-style QWERTY keyboard". Maybe I could have a spoilertagged "Hint: I'm in the UK." Suggestions, anyone? $\endgroup$
    – Rand al'Thor
    Jun 9, 2015 at 17:32

1 Answer 1

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First message:

   What shall we do this weekend? Let's go somewhere interesting!

How to get it: move left-hand keys one place to the left and leave right-hand keys as they are to decrypt

Second message:

 I fail to comprehend your last email. Why, my question is why. look deeply.

How to get it: move right-hand keys one place to the right and leave left-hand keys as they are to decrypt

Third message:

 See you on Thursday! Hopefully we'll all be there this time.

How to get it: move left-hand keys one place to the left and right-hand keys one place to the right to decrypt

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    $\begingroup$ First message: What shall we do this weekend? Let's go somewhere interesting! $\endgroup$
    – Chen Orihara
    Jun 9, 2015 at 9:20
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    $\begingroup$ Third message: See you on Thursday! Hopefully we'll all be there this time. $\endgroup$
    – Chen Orihara
    Jun 9, 2015 at 9:24
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    $\begingroup$ Ohhh I see now why!!! It's because I'm from spain and the spanish keyboard is diferrent than the english so, that's why you have there the \ while I have it on the left side of the number '1' key. Didn't thought about that until now! I update the answer then :) $\endgroup$
    – Megasa3
    Jun 9, 2015 at 9:28
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    $\begingroup$ Your explanation (i.e. move right-hand keys one place to the right and leave left-hand keys as they are to decrypt) only works for the second message. The first and third have different algorithms, although along the same lines. $\endgroup$
    – Rand al'Thor
    Jun 9, 2015 at 9:47
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    $\begingroup$ @randal'thor again I was thinking on encrypt and not to decrypt hehe thank you!!! I really enjoyed this puzzle! and your lunatic part :P $\endgroup$
    – Megasa3
    Jun 9, 2015 at 10:11

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