March 1993 - cypherpunks-legacy

Tropical Libertaria
by portwatson＠firefly.rain.com 25 Mar '93

25 Mar '93

An Island in the Net... Dear Freedom Lover, Do you yearn for freedom now? Do you ever daydream...plotting your daring escape from the faceless bureaucrats and their idiotic edicts? Imagine, for a moment, your picture of "utopia"...a place where you are free to be you...with friends and neighbors who share your views on liberty, individualism, free thought and free enterprise. A place where the sun sets and rises on a locale of mutual acceptance and intellectual emancipation... A place where your personal lifestyle is your business... Your very own private tropical paradise where freedom flows gently through the palms like a tradewind breeze... Safe, secure, crime-free...yet fun and exciting... A place which has existed only in our hearts and minds... ...until now: We invite you to visit Port Watson where the quality of life is our first concern... Located on Clove Cay, Exuma, Bahamas, Port Watson is being created as an intentional community of Free-thinkers, Artists, Writers, Cybernauts, Philosophers, Computer Professionals, Free- Market Leaders, and other Interesting Individuals in the midst of a true tropical island paradise surrounded by the best sailing, fishing, and diving waters in the world! Conspicuous by their absence are Cops, Jails, Tax Collectors, and Bureaucrats. Your neighbors will be adventuresome free-thinkers who understand freedom and personal responsibility... Free-spirited intellectuals who share your vision of a libertarian intentional community... People like YOU. Picture yourself on a hammock between twin palms gently swaying in the tradewinds' breeze beside a quiet lagoon as sailboats glide gracefully by. The water is light green, deep blue and every imaginable hue in between, yet clear as glass down to the sand dollars, starfish and colorful shells below... Or, if you seek the more active lifestyle, water sports abound in the calm, clear seas surrounding Port Watson. The diving is rated among the best in The Bahamas, which is to say the best in the world, and yachtsmen the world over revere the waters for their unsurpassed clarity and beauty and uninhabited white beaches. Famous for its abundant fishing, being rich in Blue Marlin, Bonefish, Tuna, Amberjack and Grouper, Port Watson is a true Deep Sea Fisherman's dream. Make your next car a boat! Whether you plan to become a year-around resident, or decide to build a vacation home, Port Watson is exclusive, private, quiet...for the discerning few who know the value of ocean front property... Port Watson at Clove Cay is a rare real estate opportunity that you can visit, build your dream home on, vacation at, or live forever with those you love. In fact, the friendly new free-market government of The Bahamas is encouraging your emigration... If you're an interesting person, chances are you fall under the Group 4 Specialist Category, which means that you qualify for permanent residence without giving up your U.S. citizenship...all the benefits of Bahamian citizenship with all the comforts of home. The Bahamas - the perfect NO-TAX haven... No personal or corporate income tax, no sales tax, no capital gains tax, no withholding tax, no business tax, no estate tax, no gift tax, no inheritance tax, no death duties, no employment taxes, no probate fees, (and, in the case of Port Watson, a generous exemption from property tax.) Individuals, corporations (including nonresident-controlled Bahamian corporations), partnerships, trusts, and estates can all enjoy this immunity! And, there's more... ...The Bahama's model bank secrecy laws are the envy of the world...and the scourge of greedy bureaucrats. The Bahamian secrecy laws are imposed on all Bank and Trust Companies, their directors, officers, and employees, attorneys, and auditors. The Bahamas is not a party to any tax or fiscal information-sharing agreements (i.e., tax treaties) with any other country. Neither the IRS, Revenue Canada, British Inland Revenue, nor any other foreign principality or power can obtain information about a bank account you may have in The Bahamas...Once you open an account in The Bahamas, you are the only one who has the privilege to access it! Freedom isn't free, but we've made it as low cost as possible. Lots start at $20,000 at 10% down/10 years....owner financing is available! All land sales and transfers are being handled by Graham Thompson & Co., Sassoon House, Nassau, Bahamas. We have investigated the cost of materials and local labor, and can recommend several styles of homes and building materials. Using state-of-the-art building techniques and materials, your home could be on-site and up in a matter of weeks. If you wish, we can arrange the rental of your vacation home for you. Homes in the area currently rent from $150 to $300 per night. If you elect to rent out your vacation home through us, full-time caretakers are available to maintain your home and grounds during your absence for a small fee, contingent upon rental. With an eye toward our goal of reasonable self-sufficiency, co-ops are being encouraged to meet such needs as energy, food, communications, etc., to ensure that Port Watsonians enjoy the comforts of gracious high-tech living. Even co-op housing options are available as a cost-saving alternative for the budget minded, and our planned state-of-the-art satellite communications facility will make telecommuting a comfortable reality for our residents. We've caught the attention and encouragement of such notables as Peter Lamborn Wilson, author and editor of Semiotext(e), Robert Anton Wilson, author of Prometheus Rising, et. al., and Dr. Mary Ruwart, author of "Healing Our World: The Other Piece of the Puzzle," and Andre Marrou's first choice as Vice Presidential running mate. As Dr. Ruwart expressed to us: "A libertarian community, ESPECIALLY IN THE BAHAMAS, is a GREAT idea!" You see, Port Watson is an Idea Whose Time Has Come. For itinerary and more information contact Kevin Bloom, of Port Watson Ltd, 303-442-6256 (11 AM to 6 PM Mountain Time) or portwatson(a)firefly.rain.com or 74640.606(a)compuserve.com... VISIT PORT WATSON, the intentional community at Clove Cay, Exuma, Bahamas...AND LET THE ADVENTURE BEGIN! Your Visit May Be Tax Deductible! This offer of freedom void where prohibited by law or similar inanity. Sincerely Yours, Benjamin Hamilton Power, Secretary-Treasurer Port Watson, Ltd. portwatson(a)firefly.rain.com -more- Addendum: Having read this far, you have a pretty good idea of what we're doing at Port Watson, and whether Port Watson sounds like the place you've been looking for. We, of Port Watson, know that freedom is precious and essential to personal growth and prosperity, and this philosophy is central to our community. We also know that freedom doesn't just "happen." It must be created... Indeed, we're turning dream into reality, and we're inviting you to join us! Those of us who launched this project are totally committed to its success, and will be living at Port Watson permanently. We beckon you to join us in this exciting adventure. Our model of tolerance, personal liberty and intellectual freedom will be the paradigm of the consummate intentional community...the very idea of such an environment is attracting "just the right people," and we'd like you to be among them. In addition to having a social atmosphere conducive to creativity and free trade, we are also developing an economic environment which will help ensure the project's success. A system of voluntary cooperatives is being encouraged to take care of such needs as food, energy, communications, waste-management, consumer goods and other staples, electronics, toys, education, banking and investments, and so forth. Your participation in any or all of these co-ops is, of course, completely voluntary. Please inquire. One unique option being offered for those with an eye toward budget is that of Alternative Co-op Housing. If you're not familiar with Co-op housing, it works like this: Each family unit (or individual) owns its own dwelling. This can be either an unattached cottage or a condo style arrangement. Centrally located is a larger building which holds a large kitchen, dining hall, and living/entertaining area. Cooking duties are shared by Co-op members on a rotational basis ...depending on the size of your Co- op, your kitchen shift could occur as infrequently as once a month...this alone makes Co-op housing extremely attractive. Members of the Co-op housing group can also arrange for child-care and home schooling options with other members. Co-op housing members are able to pool their resources to create mega-workshops, computer LAN systems, or whatever they desire. Co-housing offers a genuine feeling of community at an affordable price, and is a logical arrangement for those of you who may be coming on board as a group. It is very popular in Denmark, and has enjoyed some success in communities in the United States. If you prefer conventional housing, many different styles and materials are obtainable locally, and labor is available in George Town on nearby Great Exuma. If you're looking for that special location to build a vacation or retirement home, rest assured that Port Watson is the place for you. Vacation homes rent for $150 to $300 per night in this part of the world, and with the proper listing and promotion many of those homes stay quite "busy." Your rental profits could be deposited in your Bahamian bank account, if you so desire. Our planned state-of-the-art satellite communications facility will provide for the transmission of voice/video/data, making telecommuting a viable option for many residents of Port Watson, especially writers and individuals involved in the development of software products. Most Port Watsonians are computer professionals who have decided to break free from the bumper-to-bumper chain-gang choosing, instead, the tranquility of a beach-front paradise as their office. If you're an entrepreneur, many excellent opportunities exist in the form of tourist concessions such as diving, boating, windsurfing, fishing, food service, tavern, etc., in what is basically virgin territory. Remember, your Bahamian bank account is your business. Please inquire. We are eager to hear from you, and will gladly answer any questions you may have. The prospects are exciting, paradise awaits, and the time to embark is now... Our initial group will consist of fifty people, but in order to meet our contractual obligations, we must have those fifty people confirmed within the next sixty days.....so call now. Those addresses, again, are: Kevin Bloom Voice 303-442-6256 (11 AM to 6 PM Mountain Time) CompuServe 74640,606 CompuServe via Internet: 74640.606(a)compuserve.com or Internet: portwatson(a)firefly.rain.com Some oft-asked questions: Q: Are you starting your own country? A: No, we are creating an intentional community on a beautiful privately owned island. Q: Where is Clove Cay? A: Clove Cay is an island in the Brigantine Chain of The Bahamas, which parallels the Exuma Chain. It is a 15 minute boat ride from Barreterre Island, which is connected by bridge to the northern tip of Great Exuma. George Town is 45 minutes away by car. Q: How do I get there? A: Several airlines, including American Eagle (800-433-7300) and Airway International (305-526-3852) have daily flights to George Town from Miami or Ft. Lauderdale. Bahamasair (800-327-8080) flies to George Town daily from Nassau. Hire a car from George Town north to Barreterre at the tip of Great Exuma (about 45 minutes) and onward by boat to Port Watson on Clove Cay (15-20 minutes.) A representative of Port Watson is living on the island to host visitors. Your stay will be quite enjoyable. Call Kevin Bloom at 303-442-6256 to make arrangements for your visit. Q: Must I give up my U.S. citizenship to live at Port Watson? A: No. U.S. citizens are allowed to stay for up to three months almost automatically, and renewing is usually very easy. Professional skills are in demand in The Bahamas and can get you Group Four Specialist classification which qualifies you for Permanent Residence status. Entrepreneurs investing in new businesses can also obtain permanent residence quite easily. Q: Do I need a passport or visa to visit Port Watson? A: U.S. citizens do not need a passport or visa to enter The Bahamas. You will need two pieces of identification to re-enter the United States, such as a valid driver's license and a voter registration stub. Q: Will we be under Bahamian jurisdiction? A: Yes, but don't panic. The Bahamian government does not pester privately owned islands. One of the most popular resorts, Abaco, boasts of no police and no jails. There is very little crime in the Out-islands and, because there are so few taxes, the government has little reason to meddle in private affairs. The rule of thumb is that the further away you get from the central government in Nassau, the less interference you receive. The recently elected government of The Bahamas leans very strongly toward free-market principles and is dedicating itself to removing much of the bureaucracy and restrictions put in place by the former Pindling administration. Frankly speaking, the Bahamians like our project and want us there. Taken together, all of these factors should lead to an environment markedly freer of government interference than is currently the case in the U.S. or much of the rest of the world. Q: Are there homes already on the island? A: There is one home and several out-buildings, all of which are currently in use. Q: Is Port Watson, Ltd., acting as developer? A: Port Watson, Ltd., is not a developer, per se, and is only subdividing the island and making the lots available to interested persons. Each property owner is responsible for developing his or her own property, including providing water, waste disposal, power, phone service, and so forth. We are encouraging buyers to form cooperatives to fill such needs, and are facilitating the formation of such co-ops; participation by each property owner is strictly voluntary. Q: How long will it take for me to build my home? A: With today's materials and techniques, your home could be up in a few weeks. Q: What about firearms? A: Unfortunately, The Bahamas has gone the way of other Commonwealth nations on that one...better leave them at home. However, shotgun permits may be obtained. We have Bahamian attorneys to help in such matters. Q: Are medical facilities available? A: Yes. The George Town Medical Clinic has two nurses and one resident physician less than an hour away. Also, the Bahamian government keeps aircraft on standby for Out-island emergencies. Q: What about drinking water? A: Water catchment systems are the norm in the region, and are generally found to be quite adequate. Also, you may wish to consider joining or forming a desalination co-op. Port Watson, Ltd., retains underground water rights to the island. Q: What about energy? A: Most homes in the Out-islands rely on small generators for their electrical, and bottled gas for cooking. Wind and solar sources are also becoming popular. You, and your neighbors, may wish to form an energy co-op utilizing a larger, quieter, more efficient diesel generator shared among several homes. Q: What about waste management? A: We are encouraging the use of chemically assisted composting toilets and other forms of recycling. Your participation in a waste management and recycling co-op is strongly encouraged. Q: How do I go about joining or forming a co-op? A: Just let us know. We will put you in touch with other Port Watsonians who share the same interests. Q: What about currency? A: U.S. currency is accepted everywhere, with a value of one to one. Change is often given using both U.S. and the colorful Bahamian currency. Q: Where can I do my banking? A: Both Barclay's Bank and the Bank of Nova Scotia have George Town branches. Q: The C.I.A. is directing microwaves at my brain in an attempt to drive me insane, forcing me to wear a tin-foil lined bicycle helmet at all times, even while sleeping. Will my situation improve if I move to Port Watson? A: No. Q: What about my plastic? A: The larger resort towns, such as Nassau and Freeport, accept all major U.S., British, and continental credit cards, as do most hotels in the Out-islands. Many shops, however, do not, so it's a good idea to bring along travellers checks, just to be sure. Q: How can I support myself on an island? Are any employment opportunities available? A: Port Watson offers many opportunities for entrepreneurs in the form of tourist concessions and support services, as well as a planned telecommuting infrastructure ideal for computer specialists, writers, and other information-age professionals. As Port Watson grows, so will many other opportunities. Q: Are there any restrictions on what I can do with my property? A: Property owners are free to do as they wish with their property, but may not take anything from or discharge anything onto neighboring properties without the appropriate owners' permission. On Clove Cay, property boundaries are clearly defined to prevent any "tragedies of the commons." Buildings of greater than two stories are discouraged. Let's all be aware of how our actions are affecting our neighbors' sunlight, wind, views, etc. Of course, a group of property owners is free to place voluntary contractual restrictions on the use of their own properties, if they so desire. NOTE: Take a look at our beautiful island! Digitized photographs of Clove Cay are available on the Internet via anonymous ftp from onion.rain.com (147.28.0.161) in the directory /pub/portwatson.

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Re: Many Important Items in the News
by tcmay＠netcom.com 25 Mar '93

25 Mar '93

Phil Karn comments on my proposal: >>(Cypherpunks remailers may want to change the "Nobody" and "Anonymous" tags >>to names that are less screenable, less susceptible to censorship by >>ARMM-type programs. Using a rotating list of fictional or historical names >>may be an approach, but I'm sure we can think of many ways to bypass >>ARMM-type cancellers.) > >I'm not sure I like this idea. In my own discussions with people on >this issue, I've found that "filterability" (for lack of a better >term) overcomes *many* (if not all) of the standard objections to >anonymous email. A very good point. I was thinking more about the "ARMM"-style attacks and not so much about the normal filters people might write to keep from seeing anonymous posts. So, anything we do to make it hard for a determined attacker (writing ARMM-style filters), makes it even harder for casual users. I guess the solution is to discourage global, ARMM-style filters (and perhaps even look again, as a community, at digital sigs for postings, so that only the author can cancel them). -Tim May -- Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money, tcmay(a)netcom.com | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero 408-688-5409 | knowledge, reputations, information markets, W.A.S.T.E.: Aptos, CA | black markets, collapse of governments. Higher Power: 2^756839 | Public Key: MailSafe and PGP available.

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Re: Many Important Items in the News
by karn＠qualcomm.com 25 Mar '93

25 Mar '93

>(Cypherpunks remailers may want to change the "Nobody" and "Anonymous" tags >to names that are less screenable, less susceptible to censorship by >ARMM-type programs. Using a rotating list of fictional or historical names >may be an approach, but I'm sure we can think of many ways to bypass >ARMM-type cancellers.) I'm not sure I like this idea. In my own discussions with people on this issue, I've found that "filterability" (for lack of a better term) overcomes *many* (if not all) of the standard objections to anonymous email. I see email anonymity as directly analogous to Caller-ID in the telephone network. Historically, telephony and email have taken competely opposite tacks on the caller privacy issue: telephone calls have always been anonymous while the Internet has effectively had "Caller ID" with no blocking. Caller ID changes the former assumption, while the anonymous remailer changes the latter. A consensus seems to be emerging on Caller ID: it's a good thing, *provided* there's a way to block it. In other words, the calling and called parties must agree on whether or not the caller will identify himself. If they don't agree, the call won't go through. Because the Caller ID messages explicitly state when the caller's number is blocked (as opposed to simply being unavailable for other reasons), it would be straightforward to build a call filter box that would disable your ringer and return an error message to any caller that invokes caller ID blocking. ("I'm sorry, the number you have reached will not accept anonymous calls. If you wish to reach this party, please unblock caller ID and try your call again.") I think this approach strikes an eminently reasonable balance between the privacy interests of the two parties. Personally, I would not use such a box unless I was actually having problems with anonymous crank calls. But a single woman living alone might well feel differently. The important thing is to let each individual make that decision for him/herself, not to impose one policy on the entire world. I think this is also exactly the right solution for email. The policy for the Internet should be that anonymous email is perfectly okay as long as it is clearly labeled as such. Then anyone who doesn't want to receive it can automatically remove it from their incoming mail without ever having to set eyes on it. This allows anonymous email to flourish wherever the recipients consent to receiving it, while it could not be used (for very long, anyway) to harass a nonconsenting recipient. More elaborate filters could be constructed that would accept anonymous email only when it had been signed by certain specific RSA keys. This would let consenting parties communicate by means of pseudonyms, without having to open themselves up to anonymous harassment from the entire net. What do you think? Phil

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FREE: warning to "sci" anonymous posters
by internaut＠aol.com 24 Mar '93

24 Mar '93

Sir, I find the contents of your warning message (appended below) to be an outrageous affront to the right of Freedom of Speech granted to all Americans in the Constitution. In fact, if you take a moment to think globally, your proposals are detrimental to the future freedom of all Citizens of the World. I think that you *yourself* should be warned that there are many of us watching your actions with great interest - and some of us have very long memories when such repressive actions are considered. particularly vexing is the idea that ANY anonymous mail might be censored - this might edit out EXACTLY the voices of criticism that make out Nation and our Internet great. Any newsgroup that can't accept the fundamental right anonymous posting should have the option of IGNORING them, but not removing them. People who want to censor speech in such a knee-jerk way have no place in public with other free people. If the reasoned opinion of any upstanding Citizen of the Internet or the US has any effect on your actions, I strongly urge you to stop this practice (if you have begun using it) and to never, ever begin it (if you have not yet). Someday you may want to vote in a US election. You'll probably want to cast a secret ballot, won't you? This is only one small example of the fundamental role of anonymity in our great Democracy. We don't need this brand of "enforcement" example on the Internet, and we don't need berobed Ku Klux Klan members lynching people to remind minorities to "behave." Erode these freedoms, and you may one day be unable to cast a ballot without being photographed and fingerprinted - it wouldn't be a very satisfactory way to run a Democracy, would it? You might scoff at my example, but one can build a mountain from many pebbles, and your action is a large chunk of stone in the mountain of Thought Bondage. I prefer to believe that you are a well-educated, thoughtful person who can see the Orwellian Thought Control inherent in this idea. i refer to imagine that you will not only reconsider such actions and vow to never follow those censorial urges, but also actively persuade others of such restrictive opinions to reconsider and stop their actions. A good Golden Rule to follow is: "Don't limit anyone's Freedom of Speech or you might be next one to be silenced!" Do the Right Thing! dave > As I promised yesterday, I emailed each recent anonomous poster >in the "sci" hierarchy a note explaining what may happen this >weekend. > >Dick >=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= >Dear anonymous poster, > > You may not be aware of the discussion in news.admin.policy >concerning the propriety of posting anonymously to newsgroups which >have not invited such postings. As someone who has posted anonymously >to the "sci" hierarchy recently, you should read it. > > I am writing to inform you that if Julf, admin(a)anon.penet.fi, >does not soon block anonymous postings to the "sci" hierarchy, then >I will activate an "Automated Retroactive Minimal Moderation" script >that will cancel postings to this hierarchy from his server. This is >intended to restore the pre-Julf status quo, at least temporarily, >over the weekend. > > Rest assured that there is nothing personal in this. I have not >read your postings, and I have no reason to believe that they were out >of line in any way other than being anonymous. I have nothing against >anonymous postings to groups that have decided to accept such >postings, nor do I object to any newsgroup deciding to do this. I >*do* object to Julf's permitting his server to post to newsgroups >without any effort to determine whether the readers of those newsgroups >want to permit anonymous postings. > > You have several possible courses of action if you wish to post >to the "sci" hierarchy while the "Automated Retroactive Minimal >Moderation" is in effect: > >*1 convince Julf to accept the "Petersen Proposal" for default > settings for different hierarchies. I promise to turn off the > ARMM script as soon as I hear that he will do this (or anything > reasonably responsive). > >*2 convince the readers of the newsgroup to which you want to post > that anonymous postings should be accepted in that newsgroup. > I can think of several valid reasons that may prompt such a desire, > but the decision should be made by the readers of the newsgroup, not > imposed by a single person such as Julf, or me. I promise to > abide by whatever decision the newsgroup makes. This does not > need to be a formal vote. A straw vote with a clear majority will > suffice. > >*3 have a friend post for you, use a different anonymous server, > or, if all else fails, post under your own name. People used to > do this, you know. :-) > > If none of these suit you, then simply be patient, and wait until >Monday. I intend to run ARMM, if I run it at all, for less than 48 >hours... this time. This is merely intended to be a demonstration >that an effective enforcement mechanism for blocking postings from a >particular site can work. > > I apologize in advance for any inconvenience this may cause you. >My argument is with Julf and is about the default setting for entire >hierarchies; it is not with you or your particular postings.

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anon.penet.fi bites the dust
by ssandfort＠attmail.com 24 Mar '93

24 Mar '93

_________________________________________________________________ FROM THE VIRTUAL DESK OF SANDY SANDFORT ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Johan Helsingius (Julf) writes: ". . . a very well-known and extremely highly regarded net personality managed to contact exactly the right people to create a situation where it is politically impossible for me to continue running the service." Excuse me. Why aren't the names of the "net personality" and "exactly the right people" given in this post? Did they request anonymity? Of course, you wouldn't want to get them mad. They might punish you by . . . by, oh, I don't know . . . maybe shutting down your anonymous remailers? Couldn't have that, could we? S a n d y ssandfort(a)attmail.com "A slave is one who waits for someone else to free him." -- Rosellen Brown -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Call for Submissions: Autonomedia
by dmandl＠shearson.com 24 Mar '93

24 Mar '93

Please feel free to distribute the following to anyone you think might be interested. Thanks. -------------------------------------------------------------------- CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS Dear Friends, Autonomedia is preparing an anthology of essays and possible visual material for a book (and electronic media) on the issues surrounding communications, intellectual property, work, and new information technologies. We anticipate a publication date at the end of this year. Among the many topics we hope to address: The anti-copyright movement State information-control mechanisms "Plunderphonics" and sound sampling Immediatism Plagiarism Cypherpunk and crypto anarchy Hacking and cracking The politics of "academic freedom" Virtual prisons and digital leashes Class struggle on the high-tech front Phone sex and computer porn Obsolescent media and "product" The politics of mail art and free radio Future tech Network TV, cable, and narrowcasting Laws and borders, globalism Aesthetics of appropriation after post-modernism Electronic banking, digital cash, the end of "money" Visual imaging and electronic pictography Virtual reality and electronic spectacularity Data piracy: computer viruses, high tech luddism, etc. Anonymity and digital identities Genetics as commercial medium Primitivism and the anti-technology movement The legacy and future of phone phreaking Body politics, angelic capital, mormons in space Robots and computerized industrial production Media ecology and media diets Surveillance and popular defense "Information economy" Cybergnosis This list is meant to be suggestive, not exhaustive. Query us with your suggestions as soon as possible. We hope to make contact with all possible contributors by the start of summer, with a final deadline of October 1, 1993, for submissions. Wherever feasible, please send submissions on computer disk (ASCII or any word processing format in any platform) as well as by paper copy. We appreciate any help you may be able to offer in this endeavor. AUTONOMEDIA COLLECTIVE P.O. Box 568 Williamsburg Station Brooklyn, NY 11211-0568 USA email: jafhc(a)cunyvm.cuny.edu or dmandl(a)shearson.com Fax: 718-387-6471 --------------------------------------------------------------------

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REMAIL: Anon.penet.fi no
by Hal 23 Mar '93

23 Mar '93

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > The anonymous service at anon.penet.fi has been closed down. > But of course this political situation is mainly caused by the abuse of the > network that a very small minority of anon users engaged in. This small > group of immature and thoughtless individuals (mainly users from US > universities) caused much aggravation and negative feelings towards the > service. This is especially unfortunate considering these people really are > a minuscule minority of anon users. The latest statistics from the service > show 18203 registered users, 3500 messages per day on the average, and > postings to 576 newsgroups. Of these users, I have received complaints > involving postings from 57 anonymous users, and, of these, been forced to > block only 8 users who continued their abuse despite a warning from me. This is truly tragic. Julf has endured weeks of attacks and now The Powers That Be have managed to shut down this widely used service. In the debates we've had here about anonymous posting, we have distinguished two problems: volume abuse and content abuse. Volume abuse is the use of the remailers to send "mail bombs", excessivelly large or numerous messages to an individual designed to fill his mailbox, or to similarly bombard newsgroups with large numbers of messages. Most of us have agreed that this is a legitimate problem, and various mechanisms have been discussed to address this. Content abuse is more problematical; it basically refers to someone posting a message whose contents someone else objects to. The traditions of freedom of speech and freedom of the press in the U.S. make it difficult to argue in favor of restrictions based on message content. Despite this, I have the impression that most of the objectionable messages Johan refers to actually were objected to based on their content. It's not that people were bombarding newsgroups with excessive numbers of messages, it's that they were posting things that (some) people didn't want them to post. It would be useful if Johan, after he has a chance to rest up a bit from the recent political battles, could take the time to summarize information about "abusive" posts. To what extent are the problems due to message contents, versus size or frequency, for example? Are there any patterns that can be gleaned about what material people most object to? In particular, it would be interesting to know whether there was material posted which was arguably illegal versus just in bad taste (in someone's opinion). This kind of information would be useful for the next time someone is willing to brave the net censors and start another anonymous posting service. Hal -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.1 iQCVAgUBK69QWKgTA69YIUw3AQHl7gP9H4iOSInpXNnpC8UGlrUlIXyQAX5m5ude 5Gn8tK9qgo0QRpwCMyVnYf3W+5Zpr5GVZJ53TrArODwpqW49mfFg2NmAX3npq9jo Bx9Etmhj2M0krJZ0WAF3TBTx/cmfrStBJA1+dpjeacjuGhAD7b8518TFqFRlGbRB sIlEd6laEgA= =FH2l -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

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Idea
by djwright 23 Mar '93

23 Mar '93

Although the material is interesting, my mailbox is getting flooded.. perhaps the mail should be compiled into a newsletter or 'zine format and mailed monthly. Phrack magazine is sent with an automated mailer.. If you want more information.. send requests to root(a)stormking.com. Please seriously consider this, the bulk of mail vs. my time to deal with the volume of little messages is limited, and it is much better if it's a monthly o r weekly newsletter which I can download and browse at my leisure. It really is not much work to have a program dump all the mail into a file, then another program send out the file monthly.

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Legal Net Monthly Newsletter
by fergp＠sytex.com 23 Mar '93

23 Mar '93

Opinion, editorial and news worthy submissions are currently being (sought and) accepted for a new start-up electronic news journal. This monthly compilation will be called 'The Legal Net Monthly Newsletter' and will focus on the legal and ethical aspects of computer networking. Legal Net Monthly will be a non-biased, open forum electronic newsletter keeping in step with the networking environment of the '90's and will be availble by E-Mail subscription. Legal Net Monthly is aiming to release it's first issue on May 1st, 1993. Articles on the following topics are especially welcome: o Defining "Criminal Mischief" on the Nets o Authoring/Distributing Computer Viruses: Legal Implications o Legislative news around the world Send all sumissions, subscription requests and correspondence to: fergp(a)sytex.com Paul Ferguson | "Sincerity is fine, but it's no Network Integration Consultant | excuse for stupidity." Centreville, Virginia USA | -- Anonymous fergp(a)sytex.com (Internet) | sytex.com!fergp (UUNet) | 1:109/229 (FidoNet) | PGP 2.2 public encryption key available upon request.

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Re: HIDE: embedded msgs in grphics & snd
by Duncan Frissell 23 Mar '93

23 Mar '93

>>>For exactly this reason, I don't think that this is a very good >>>idea. The discussion here started as a search for a way to make >>>encrypted data not look like encrypted data. (Once it becomes illegal). I tell you three times, I tell you three times, I tell you three times... The Feds are *not* going to outlaw encryption. They believe in encryption. They even have official bodies designed to encourage encryption. They are not even going to outlaw encryption they can't break. They are internally split on the issue. By the time they got around to actually *doing* anything, we will have been online with a fully encrypted communications system for years. They can't move fast enough. They lack the overall control of the networks to implement such a proposal. There would be First Amendment challenges. In order for such regulation to be enacted, there would have to be a collective appreciation of the risk that encryption poses to the world's States (it risks their destruction but we won't tell them that). This is too much of a high order abstraction for a collective decision making process to handle. We've had powerful encryption techniques for a while in any case. One-time pads are more than 100 years old, aren't they. "Publication" in the international realm is not subject to local laws in any case. International publications routinely carry ads for goods or services that would be illegal to sell in the individual countries reached. Sometimes a country like Singapore will censor a publication like the Asian Wall Street Journal. Ridiculous since it can be read online. Outlawing encryption is a form of censorship and censorship will prove increasingly difficult as time goes on. If they can't keep crack cocaine out of Sing Sing, how can they keep PGP out of my computer (or computers under my control somewhere in the world). The enforcement problems are staggering. What about sentencing. What is the social damage involved in my sending my wife a 2.5K encrypted file. Pretty petty offense. Even if encryption was generally outlawed, anyone involved a privileged communication (spouses, attorney-client, physician-patient, priest-penitent, etc.) could continue to use the technology since assuring privacy is one of the technical requirements of exercising such a privilege. Say, what if I as an attorney operate an anonymous remailer. <G> I know that privilege probably wouldn't attach because I wasn't a party to the communications but it would make for some entertaining litigation. No one has yet answered my legal question of several months ago. If you have an unbroken coded message, how does the prosecutor prove beyond a reasonable doubt and to a moral certainty that it is a coded message. Even if it has identifying headers and footers, that say "PGP 2.2" you can claim that you just put them on to random noise for fun in order to tweak the noses of the authorities. Duncan Frissell

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