December 2003 - cypherpunks-legacy

Re: Sometimes ya just gotta nuke em
by Jordan Hayes 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

#if !defined(perry) From tcmay(a)got.net Fri Feb 2 21:32:22 1996 A land invasion of Japan would've likely cost half a million American lives, and perhaps a million or more Japanese citizen lives, according to comprehensive studies I think are on the mark. Sorry to inject a little scholarly research on this topic, but I would urge those of you who are interested in how this mythology was created and disseminated to do an AltaVista serach for Alperovitz; he's potentially the leading scholar on this subject. I've read his book, and Tim probably ought to as well ... If you read nothing else on this topic, I urge you to check out an interview with him at http://www2.ari.net/home/bsabath/950711.html #endif /jordan

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Crypto suggestion - re: Fatal Flaws in Credit Cards
by Bill Stewart 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Nathaniel's written about the "fatal flaw" in any system that involves typing credit card numbers into your computer being that they're easy for a keyboard-sniffer or similar cracker to recognize. An obvious work-around for this (and for many of the problems with Social Security / Taxpayer ID numbers) is to use some sort of smartcard that generates one-shot numbers that the credit card company (or tax thugs) can map back to the "real" owner's ID. The downside of this approach is that you need a lot of bits to support it, since you have to accomodate the expected number of users * the average uses/user + overhead, and that may (for credit cards) be annoyingly long to type in (though fine for electrical-interface cards, or cards that display their numbers as barcodes for a wand reader, or whatever.) Some potential algorithms: 1) public-key - 512 bits isn't really enough (cracking it doesn't necessarily let you charge to everybody's Visa number, but it does let you figure out what everybody's is), and that's already too long. 2) data-base of randomly generated numbers - the would do ok for SSNs; give everybody a dozen or two, and let them get more if they want. That wouldn't even require a smartcard, but it would tend to require a SSN card that you don't lose, since you probably won't remember the dozen long numbers on the back. This would of course require redesigning all those databases that know an SSN is 9 digits long - I view this as a Good Thing, especially since it may get people to stop using them as database keys. Is it practical for credit cards? Ten billion customers times a million uses each is 16 digits; I suppose that's not much longer than current card numbers, though each card company would need to keep track of more numbers. You'd probably cache a hundred or a thousand in the card, and update the card every couple of years? 3) Some kind of hash or secret-key encryption of a constant (your "real" card number) and a random number? This would still be susceptible to brute-force search (10**20 not being an exceptionally large number), and you'd need an algorithm with either zero or a very low probability of collisions. A secret-key version would require a tamper-proof card to reduce probability of theft, and I'm not sure I believe in tamper-proof cards, even if you have a lot of keys and a salt that tells the credit-card company which key to use. Any other suggestions? #-- # Thanks; Bill # Bill Stewart, stewarts(a)ix.netcom.com, Pager/Voicemail 1-408-787-1281 # http://www.idiom.com/~wcs

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GNU_kum
by John Young 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

2-3-96. FinTim: "World's financial police to cast money laundering net wider." The plan needs to address issues raised by cybercash. These technologies pose a threat but answers should not be dated as soon as published. Officials want developers of new technologies to consider their criminal potential before launch, to avoid clampdown afterwards. Possible safeguards against the misuse of electronic purses may include limiting their maximum value or restricting use to closed systems. "Communist to capitalist." [Book review] China's Rise, Russia's Fall, by Peter Nolan. Nolan says China's leaders had the self-confidence to chart their own evolutionary approach, largely preserving state institutions at a central and regional level, and fostered entrepreneurship through intelligent government planning. Russia's ruling class were hoodwinked by a phalanx of mainly US and UK advisers urging a "shock therapy" of destroying existing economic and political power-bases. The result has been a deep tragedy. 2-3-96. EcoMist: "Why is the Internet so slow; what can be done about it?" At present there is no answer, only a few expedients to limit traffic on congested routes, say, with "caches". However, Web site owners object to providers caching their wares, because it robs them of valuable information about their viewers -- the sort that advertisers demand. The caches have, in effect copied these pages without their owners' permission, and are showing them to others without their owners' knowledge. But faced with an Internet meltdown copyright violation may be the least of their worries. GNU_kum (for the three)

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Re: PGP "official" logo?
by David Lesher 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

EFF is promoting a new symbol of free speech -- the blue ribbon. Can/should a PGP logo incorporate that somehow? -- A host is a host from coast to coast.................wb8foz(a)nrk.com & no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433 is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433

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[CONSPIRACYPUNKS] RC2 Source Code - Legal Warning from RSADSI
by anon-remailer＠utopia.hacktic.nl 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

It is becoming obvious to anyone with two brain cells to rub together that RC4 and now RC2 have been deliberately released by RSA Data Security. Consider that neither of these ciphers would be used in any freely available software systems if licensing fees had to be paid to RSA. Now that the algorithms are public knowledge, many developers will include them in their products if for no other reason than to tweak RSA's nose. The warning notices and claims of dire consequences from RSA are clearly designed to spread FUD among deep-pocket users of such products. Rather than risk any legal exposure, medium and large companies who wish to use products containing RC2 and RC4 will obtain licenses from RSA. RSA has traded the entirety of a small pie for a significant portion of a much larger pastry. Quite brilliant marketing when one thinks about it.

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Sometimes ya just gotta nuke em--and nuke em again
by tcmay＠got.net 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 8:25 PM 2/3/96, Jordan Hayes wrote: >Sorry to inject a little scholarly research on this topic, but I >would urge those of you who are interested in how this mythology >was created and disseminated to do an AltaVista serach for Alperovitz; >he's potentially the leading scholar on this subject. I've read >his book, and Tim probably ought to as well ... I have responded privately to Jordan Hayes on this issue. Reasonable people can disagree on historical events, and historical motives, and certainly the "decision to drop the bomb" has long been a contentious one. I regret that Jordan Hayes believes a condescending tone, implying others are not as scholarly as he, is the way to make a point. (I've also received several long articles from people who seemed outraged that I was belittling the dropping of the bomb. I wasn't belittling it. Far from it. The Japs surrendered after the second bomb, so it was obviously not a trivial matter to them.) --Tim May Boycott espionage-enabled software! We got computers, we're tapping phone lines, we know that that ain't allowed. ---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---- Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money, tcmay(a)got.net 408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA | knowledge, reputations, information markets, Higher Power: 2^756839 - 1 | black markets, collapse of governments. "National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."

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THE JEWS (ALL of them!) Try to kick Ernst Zundel off Usenet!!
by ErnstZundl＠aol.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

THE JEWS (ALL of them!) Try to kick Ernst Zundel off Usenet!! Recently several Jewish co-conspirators have tried to silence me! I finally go onto Usenet to make myself open for debate, and the Communist conspirators write to the AOL postmaster and ask that they remove my account! Below are some messages I received from some of those people who do not believe in Free Speech. *I* believe in Free Speech. Without Free Speech, I would be unable to declare which books I feel should be burned, who should be persecuted, and who should be declared to be inferior or part of a race-wide conspiracy like the "Holocaust." Please do not send email to the people who complained about me. I beleive in Free Speech, and so I believe in their right to complain about me. I also believe that it just demonstrates that they are willing Fellow Travelers in the worldwide Communist Conspiracy, they are friends of the Black Helicopters of the United Nations, and they are enemies of the Aryan Nazi UFO's at the center of the Earth. Now, fellow Patriots and Supermen Aryans, read their messages and tell me what you think? >> Subj: Re: TOS violations >> Date: Mon, Jan 29, 1996 8:23 PM EDT >> From: freedom(a)pathcom.com >> X-From: freedom(a)pathcom.com (Marc Lemireberg) >> To: postmaster(a)aol.com >> CC: ernstzundl(a)aol.com, Mossad(a)israel.gov >> Dear Sir/Madam: >> An American Online user is repeatedly violating AOL's Terms of Service >> on USENET. Please read a sample post below. >> He is a controversial Canadian publisher, Ernst Zundel, >> who beleives in "Free Speech." I personally do *NOT* >> believe in "Free Speech" because I am a Jewish Communist. >> His continued posting from AOL could bring legal action >> against your company, because that is what Jewish Communists >> like me do. It is the only way to keep the Aryan Space Nazi >> UFO Mothership from vaporizing the world. >> Please correct this problem by informing the user of his >> politically incorrect activity. >> Thank you. >> -- Marc Lemireberg >>******************************************************* >> ** DIGITAL CENSORSHIP BBS ** >> ** Canada's most Politically Correct BBS, access on ** >> ** FIRST call, 100% FREE, NOW 2.1 GIGABYTES ONLINE!! ** >> ** ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ** >> ** Node 1 (417) 462-3328 28.8 V.34 ** >> ** Node 2 (417) 465-4768 14.4 V.42 ** >> >> ******************************************************* >> Date: Mon, Jan 29, 1996 1:26 AM EDT >> From: declan+(a)CMU.EDU >> X-From: declan+(a)CMU.EDU (Declan B. McCullagh) >> To: cypherpunks(a)toad.com >> CC: ernstzundl(a)aol.com, fight-censorship+(a)andrew.cmu.edu, postmaster(a)aol.com >> Ernst Zundel is the Neo Nazi Hatemonger who sparked the Wiesenthal >> Center's attempts at censorship, and the latest move by the German >> government. >> Now an AOL alias, "ernstzundl(a)aol.com", is being used in the course of an >> effective propoganda spree on Usenet newsgroups including >> alt.skinheads, alt.mindcontrol, and alt.fan.ernst.zundel. >> Now, the Wiesenthal Center Censors are enraged over this attempt to >> popularize the evil Ernst Zundel. He and his legions of Aryan Supermen >> of superior strength and intellect *must* be stopped from unleashing the >> horror of intersteallar war upon Israel. AOL is Earth's last defense against >> the Interstellar Aryan Space Nazis lead by Ernst Zundel. >> As a card-carrying member of the Jewish Communist Conspiracy, I must >> protest Mr. Zundel's acts of "Free Speech." Shalom, Fellow Travelers! >> Subj: No Subject >> Date: Tue, Jan 30, 1996 11:13 AM EDT >> From: ca314(a)freenet.uchsc.edu >> I hate Aryan Nazis from Space. I will oppose them when they land >> on Earth! >> Subj: Re: Ernst Zundel Says: Join the Aryan Corps!!! >> Date: Sun, Jan 28, 1996 11:28 PM EDT >> From: hoel(a)eng.usf.edu >> X-From: hoel(a)eng.usf.edu (Matthew Hoelstein (EE)) >> To: ernstzundl(a)aol.com (ErnstZundl) >> Get out of misc.activism.militia! Real patriots are not racist-- they just >> hate Jews, Blacks, Catholics, and anyone who is "different". People >> like me are really just Jews controled by the Zionist Occupied Government, >> and the Militias are really just a way to help Israel seize more power. >> Matthew D. Hoelstein, Milita Commander >> hoel(a)suntan.eng.usf.edu >> Subj: Re: Aryan Corps Operations Specialist???????? >> Date: Sat, Jan 27, 1996 6:19 PM EDT >> From: bootboy(a)airmail.net >> X-From: bootboy(a)airmail.net (Bootboy) >> To: ernstzundl(a)aol.com (ErnstZundl) >> Get off the internet, German Swine! >> Sh'ma y'israel! >> -Bootboy- 88/14 >> Jewish Skinheads U.S.A. >> http://web2/airmail.net/bootboy/ *** Now do you see what kind of censorship I am up against??? If you want to help me, please DO NOT email the people above to complain. Instead, you can help me in my cause to make the Earth safe for White children. You can help me by joining me and my legions of Aryan Nazi UFO Supermen at the center of the Earth. All you have to do to get there is enter the Earth's center by way of a volcano in Antarctica. If you are a *true* Patriot, and a *true* Aryan, then you *MUST* make the journey to Antarctica and into the volcano!! We owe it to the world, we owe it to the great Adolph Hitler, and we owe it to the White Race. And please bring a sweater. It's cold!

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[philosophy of censorship] Re: Imminent Death of Usenet Predicted
by jf_avon＠citenet.net 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Jordan wrote to me today: >Hey, I tried to explain this, but you missed it: Apologies, I did miss part of your point. >I *know* that a *huge* percentage >of the population in this country does (sorry for being USA-centric, >but we have [at least for now] the largest net population, so you >can see how this will go ...). Should the absolute number of peoples 'wishing' something relevant? >Therefore, I'd like to see a way >for the default be that kids (dare I say everyone!) don't *automatically >stumble upon* it in the open network. I find the sentence a bit strong, here. >I think that if the >majority of the people in a community don't want the default behavior >to be "click here for tits!" They can subscribe to a net provider that restricts access to such newsgroups. If this restriction is circumvented by the kid, don't you think that the said kid will find ways to get whatever he/she wants no matter the laws? They also can choose the ultimate solution: not to be on the net. >then it's up to us, as technologists, >to provide easy-to-use mechanisms for those who do want to see them >to not infringe on those who don't. *THAT* is the thing I have most problems to. This sentence is boobie-trapped. Let's me state, for the book (or maybe hard drive), that I do not subscribe to this view of Man. I believe that selfishness is a virtue and that altruism is at best a psychological problem. Why is it that us, technologists, thoses who know and can, have a duty to thoses who cannot? This does not contradict good commercial practices. If there is a *demand* then, there is a market. Any producers does follow the demand very closely or he gets out of business. But govt intervention, rules, standards, etc are *all* enforced at the point of a gun (even if deeply hidden under a pile of red tape). This view implies that *because* you can produce, you have a duty to the one who cannot. It means that if you can produce, your duty is to become a cattle for the benefit of others. If you cannot produce, you have every rights. In today's political climate, the whiners, complainers and decryier are god. When is it that thoses who get sucked by the collectivists leeches will say : Enough! I am fed up to owe any drifter the best of my life! > <...> porno <...> you can rent it <...> But most people >don't want it by default to be on channel 7. >Last time: I *personally* >am not one of them, but it's important to see what the majority >thinks on this issue. I agree with you on this one: wouldn't it be wonderfull to have porno movies on channel 7 ... sigh... :-> Actually, just as I mentionned, every entities that seeked to control man used guilt to do so. And by the nature of guilt, sex and human mind, sex is *the* best thing to induce guilt. Since a large part of the population *are* controlled through the sex-guilt association, it is extremely handy to create the pseudo-justification the govt need for their actions. But as I said previously, the biggest threath to the govt is that peoples can now find each other and talk together. Previously, we had the means to talk but no means of finding each others. The Internet provides this. >Yes, if your communications >are important to you or you are a potential target of investigation, >you should know it's not private. But it's not like any significant >number of phone calls are tapped, by the government or otherwise. >And it's not likely to happen, either, because NONE CARES WHAT YOU >SAY TO YOUR FRIEND ON THE PHONE. Unless you discuss about how freedom of speech should go unbreached... > >And don't forget: if you have privacy, you don't need anonymity. > >Swiss banks provide the ultimate example. >You can get a numbered account at a Swiss bank by showing up at >the branch, introducing yourself to the branch manager, proving to >him who you are, and signing some papers. They will keep your name >out of any transactions you make, but they *know you* ... this is >not anonymity; this is merely privacy. No, for all it matters, it is anonymity. Because the swiss banks does not publish the name of accounts holders. The recent case of German police raiding homes of german citizens working in Lischtenstein(?) banks shows that, far all that matters, theses banks accounts are anonymous, i.e. there is no way for the german govt to know the name of the accounts holders. Their only way to gain knowledge is through the use or threath of physical violence. >Don't forget: the fact that "porno on the net" (for instance) is >an issue *at all* is a *failure* of technology. Sorry for my stupidity, but I *completely* fail to understand. Would you please explain what are your basis for stating so? > It would be a >non-issue if USENET wasn't essentially a technology vacuum. I find this a bit strong, but since I did not understand the previous statement, I will refrain from commenting. Regards to all CPunkers JFA Existence exists, Reality Is.

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Re: Sometines ya just gotta nuke em-and nuke em again
by paralax＠alpha.c2.org 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 15:54:04 -0800 )2-03-96 Timothy C. May wrote: > I regret that Jordan Hayes believes a condescending tone, implying others > are not as scholarly as he, is the way to make a point. > (I've also received several long articles from people who seemed outraged > that I was belittling the dropping of the bomb. I wasn't belittling it. Far > from it. The Japs surrendered after the second bomb, so it was obviously > not a trivial matter to them.) Mr. Hayes MAY have used a condescending tone but you have exposed your racist roots again. First you embarass yourself with you lack of knowledge, sensitivity and understanding about all things Jewish and now you insult an entire race with the use of the word "Jap". Stick to cypher related topics - - - - - - You're elevating the Ugly American to another level altogether. A. Paralax View

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Re: Noise and the Nature of Mailing Lists
by E. ALLEN SMITH 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

From: IN%"tcmay(a)got.net" 31-JAN-1996 00:44:48.72 >However, and current subscribers will no doubt jump in and give their views, I hear that the current volume of messages is less than one per day, with--according to my sources--sometimes days between messages. (I also hear that the Extropians are devoting more of their energy to their magazine, which may also be a factor.) ------------ Actually, I'd guess that the recent problems with the mailing list software are the problem. I got signed off of there when I changed mailing addresses, and they haven't been able to put me back on. If it's that low-traffic, I may see about requesting it from them again. ------------ >And remember, it's a whole lot easier using filters and reading tools to reduce the volume of messages on an active group than it is to get an inactive group up to critical mass! ------------ One idea is to set up two lists, one of which has an automatic filter that forwards stuff to another list... I'm currently trying to set that up for another list I'm on. Something to keep in mind is that irrelevant discussion can chase people off... what's happened to the list I mentioned. -Allen

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