As much as I like the series so far (just finished Canticle a day or so ago), I do have some problems with the system of codes.

It seems too unrealistic, the massive amounts of cipers and such that the characters use at all times, the constant use of sign languages (which I would think are anything but sublte), "triple coded" messages and the use of pressing into each others flesh for communication.

It isn't that these things are impossible, just that Scholes writes too much into each of these things.

Such codes and ciphers, and silent forms of communication wouldn't have as extensive a vocabulary as appears in the books. Sure, one could tap/press out on someone's arm in some variation of morse code, but I would think that would be both time consuming and also inaccurate. Not to mention also not subtle if the characters wanted to make such communication clear to the recipient.

{EDITed for spelling}