December 2003 - cypherpunks-legacy

Re: CyberTraveler Auction - Unsubscrive
by molecul1＠molecule1.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

>Dear Molecule, > > >Best regards, >Cathay Pacific Airways Limited >Los Angeles Marketing Department > >P.S. remove yourself from the CyberTraveler program, (should you wish to). >Simply go to http://www.cathay-usa.com/remove.html. Thank you. > >>>Dear Cathay, > >>> Unsubscrive Molecule1(a)electriciti.com > >>> In peace & wish the purest of wishes. >>> sincerely, >>> M1.

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Re: Why does the state still stand:
by Jean-Francois Avon 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- On 15 May 96 at 15:48, jim bell wrote: > I understand your...uh...caution. But as scary as it may be to > "us," it's going to be even more terrifying to those it is likely to > eliminate. Sort of the difference between two parachute jumps: With > and without a parachute! Mr Bell. Please do not refer to me as being part of what you call "us". The fact that I exchanged on the topic of AP, and more particularly on its intrinsical workings and logic does not mean that I endorse nor like it. Please read what I wrote and stick to it. Respectfully. JFA -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.2i iQEVAwUBMZohdsiycyXFit0NAQE8HQgAj0YvSDLxlWVKiDVcHfMHRerNwNEc3qxa hu5GAqlyvHF493AGpahgtCnzj3qcvcJjqqp+AR1QLGeGhn6+CjxFpv5E3iEjNGb3 NXKc4Mk11m/bEeZF6xoK/1R+tXLzYoXvKS43s69tu7y7fY7jg/q+fIkUWAin2KqV u03iXapqndBT4lvr2HHYtzkHJosH7DFfvFDGpWhHNW6p/aEM8EjJdGKmNgQFB+QG 0cV3Chsdb6jjQui9OyfeYkn9IvsgbQk+4l0LhfMu8+XcNQ2jSQdXgoGGXqH67lJJ /ai49LqVXbT1tAePjziud5l8KG5+V4oFqLKRP/g7MgRRPxdAPtGrgQ== =z3tY -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- DePompadour, Societe d'Importation Ltee Limoges porcelain, Silverware and mouth blown crystal glasses JFA Technologies, R&D consultants. Physists, technologists and engineers. PGP keys at: http://w3.citenet.net/users/jf_avon ID# C58ADD0D : 529645E8205A8A5E F87CC86FAEFEF891 Unsollicited commercial e-mail will be proofread at US165 $/h Any sender of such material will be considered as to have ac- cepted the above mentionned terms.

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Re: Rural Datafication (Was Re: Edited Edupage, 9 May 1996)
by tcmay＠got.net 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 9:10 PM 5/15/96, E. ALLEN SMITH wrote: > I've gone even farther than that - I don't bother with having a TV, I >just get my info from the net. There is the problem with the satellite net >links that it tends to concentrate data production & distribution into >relatively few hands, from which it can easier be taken by government and other ... Just to make it clear, the _least_ of _my_ reasons for having a satellite dish and televisions in general is to "get info." (Though even when I do want to "get info," I tend to turn to CNN, CNBC, PBS, etc., and not to use the generally short summaries that are carried on the Net, sans video of course.) I won't argue for television pro or con...I'm sure most folks here have met people who are religiously anti-television and who radiate superiority in pointing out that the last time they saw a television program was when "Nicholas Nickleby" was broadcast. Whatever. But having both a video/satellite system and, obviously, a Net/Web system, they are very different things. To each their own. --Tim May Boycott "Big Brother Inside" 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, Licensed Ontologist | black markets, collapse of governments. "National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."

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Re: Any DLL's that handle Public Key Encryption or Key Exchange?
by pgut001＠cs.auckland.ac.nz 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Death rays from Mars made Bill Stewart <stewarts(a)ix.netcom.com> write: >There's an RSAEURO drop-in clone of RSAREF that's on ftp.ox.ac.uk, so you >could write a version of your software that lets Yankees and non-Yankees drop >in whichever version is appropriate without worrying about patent or copyright >problems. I've already got a nice fast RSA implementation, so I think I'll stick with that. Besides, I'm not terribly keen on using a library which has stolen code in it. If anyone wants to create an RSAREF version, all you need to do is replace one module (lib_rsa.c) with an RSAREF-compatible version (that's why I mentioned plug-in encryption modules in the docs - you just unplug the existing code and plug in RSAREF instead). What you need to do is use RSAPublicBlock() and RSAPrivateBlock(), the rest is just wrapper code which you can base on the existing lib_rsa.c. My estimate is that it's about an afternoons work. >Any RSAREF system used in the US has the problem that it's limited to the >"official" interfaces, which means you can't do fully general RSA without >permission. I got permission from RSADSI to bypass the official interface to RSAREF for HPACK, my archiver which has PGP-compatible encryption, in 1993. However I suspect getting permission for the same thing in a general-purpose library, especially one which has RC2, RC4, and DESX[1] in it, may be difficult since parts of the library are essentially a free version of BSAFE (not by design, they just ended up that way). [1] Well, it will have DESX once I can get some test vectors to make sure I've got it right. Does anyone have some I can use? Peter.

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RISKS: YANSF (Yet Another Netscape Security Flaw)
by stevenw＠best.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Reposted from RISKS: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 17 May 1996 17:11:34 -0400 From: Ed Felten <felten(a)CS.Princeton.EDU> Subject: Netscape 2.02 RISK SECURITY FLAW IN NETSCAPE 2.02 We have discovered an attack that allows a Java applet running under Netscape Navigator 2.02 to generate and execute arbitrary machine code. The attack combines a new security bug found by Tom Cargill with some ideas previously discovered by the Princeton team. We have implemented a demonstration applet that deletes a file. We are not yet releasing technical details. For more information, contact Ed Felten (felten(a)cs.princeton.edu, 609-258-5906), or see http://www.cs.princeton.edu/sip/News.html Tom Cargill Independent Consultant http://www.csn.net/~cargill/ Dirk Balfanz, Drew Dean, Ed Felten, Dan Wallach Dept. of Computer Science, Princeton University http://www.cs.princeton.edu/sip/ ------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Steven Weller | Weller's three steps to Greatness: | 1. See what others cannot | 2. Think what others cannot stevenw(a)best.com | 3. Express what others cannot

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RE: Why does the state still stand:
by Jean-Francois Avon 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- From: Self <Single-user mode> To: Black Unicorn <unicorn(a)schloss.li> Subject: RE: Why does the state still stand: Reply-to: jf_avon(a)citenet.net Date: Wed, 15 May 1996 20:47:38 On 15 May 96 at 21:19, Black Unicorn wrote: > Well then, AP will simply not work in the large scheme of things. It > cannot be used to enforce anonymous transactions. The scope of > transactions that can be made anonymous is so large so as to make AP > an incomplete justice system. Moreover it will simply motivate > others to use more anonymous transactions, and into the cycle of > AP's downfall we go. > > AP will have "An ever increasing share, of a shrinking market." > > This, in itself, may be enough to prevent AP's implementation. Well, you might have a point. And I hope so. The AP scheme finds its uses mainly against govts or non-anonymous large entities that are perceived as coercive in nature. I do not think that it will become prevalent in the inter-individual interactions. What I hate about the scheme is that I see it being used for pulling down peoples that are too good at what they do. I never pretended that petty feelings, jalousy and envy does not exists. I can see at least half of the business peoples putting a price on another half of a given field. I personnally believe that most peoples were thaught screwed-up ethics and that therefore, they are highly unpredictable. But I doubt that AP won't get started locally for various reasons and various uses. As for Jim Bell's opinion that it might overtake govt, it might be true. After all, the initial reason for anonymity, if not for conning somebody else but to protect oneself from government's point of view... An anonymous transaction system would become hunted down by govt pretty quickly. They could probably prosecute zip out of anybody but OTOH, they could very well make life a living hell for many individuals. The natural reaction for some of theses individuals would be to seek/set-up an AP server. And from that moment, the news and reward would be known around the world within a short time, even to peoples not connected to the net. JFA DePompadour, Societe d'Importation Ltee; Limoges porcelain, silverware and crystal JFA Technologies, R&D consultants; physists, technologists and engineers. PGP keys at: http://w3.citenet.net/users/jf_avon ID# C58ADD0D : 529645E8205A8A5E F87CC86FAEFEF891 Unsollicited commercial e-mail will be proofread at US165 $/h Any sender of such material will be considered as to have ac- cepted the above mentionned terms.

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Re: Why does the state still stand:
by jim bell 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

>A related >problem is that of government agents signing on. > Both of the above are made more acute by the possibility that some >information, if revealed, might enable the government to disrupt activities - >even if it doesn't enable prosecution. Making sure that the participants have >a strong stake in behaving properly - e.g., shares in the outcome, ecash >deposits, and - most importantly in dissuading governmental intervention - >reputation riding on it. Remember the old saying, "The best defense is a good offense." Another way to say it is to notice that it's usually far easier to disrupt another person's intricate activities than to do them yourself: In a contest in a closed room between a person building a house of cards and another person trying to knock them down, the latter person can be expected to easily win. Making a profit or salary is work; compared to this, collecting taxes is like knocking it down, and the tax collector has an advantage. But if you turn this around, and attack the attacker, the advantage is now in the hands of those trying to paralyze the tax system. >The last is most important in dissuading governmental >intervetion because of the reserves of wealth the government is likely to have >for some time; they can afford to pay (using your and my tax dollars) for >the short-term costs to a subject. On the other hand, the government also has enormous "obligations" that keep it close to bankruptcy. It wouldn't take a great deal of interference in its ability to collect taxes to put it solidly in the red based on current receipts. And remember, if the individuals who populate government could be persuaded that their tenure would be forcibly shortened if they didn't resign, they wouldn't stick around. Once that cohesiveness of jointly sucking on the government tit is eliminated, I think they'll cut and run. These people are working for a fat paycheck and the promise of a retirement package, and it wouldn't take much convincing to show them that they won't get either for very long. I'm convinced that's why so many Senators and Representatives are leaving office at the end of their current term, for instance. Jim Bell jimbell(a)pacifier.com

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RE: Edited Edupage, 9 May 1996
by jbugden＠smtplink.alis.ca 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Perry Metzger wrote: >As long as this is now CypherCesspit and not CypherPunks, I might as well play the game. Thinking of game theory, couldn't the prisoner's dilemma apply to this; where what is best for the group is not necessarily best for the individual. >Every year since World War II, expenditures in real dollars have increased per pupil at the government schools. Every year, average class size has gone down in the government schools. I would be curious to know your source for this information. The information I have indicates that in California when Ronald Reagan became governor, 80% of the funding for state universities such as UC Berkeley and UCLA came from the public purse. Last year, only 24% of the funding came from the government. I would have trouble believing that the overall school system was radically different. The teenage children of a visiting Brazilian professor commented that no other country was like Canada in the sense that people here received a low cost education and did not go destitute. Contrast this to their situation in Brazil where off duty police officers are often hired by merchants to get rid of the street urchins that disrupt their businesses. See current edition of french Photo magazine (cover Ayrton Sennas ex girl friend) for a pictorial. Scientific American (June 1995) has an article entitled The Arithmetics of Mutual Help - Computer experiments show how cooperation rather than exploitation can dominate in the Darwinian struggle for survival. To paraphrase, cooperation arises naturally in most biological systems. Lone defectors do well, but by spreading, defeat themselves. (See: CypherCessPool for example). I appreciate my free public education. I might not have been so forward thinking if I had to go deeply into debt to finance it myself. >Actually, I believe most people on this list argue for no government or so little that its decisions hardly matter. I agree. Unfortunately, that would seem to put me in the minority. James >Perry jbugden(a)alis.com What we do not understand, we do not possess. - Goethe

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[NOISE] Re:Rural Datafication (via RFC 1149)
by Steve Reid 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Hmm... Maybe this could be a low-cost way to get rural areas connected to the internet? The RFC says it's primarily for metropolitan areas, but I believe it could be equally effective in rural areas. :) (BTW, this is a "real" RFC. I got it from ftp.internic.net.) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Network Working Group D. Waitzman Request for Comments: 1149 BBN STC 1 April 1990 A Standard for the Transmission of IP Datagrams on Avian Carriers Status of this Memo This memo describes an experimental method for the encapsulation of IP datagrams in avian carriers. This specification is primarily useful in Metropolitan Area Networks. This is an experimental, not recommended standard. Distribution of this memo is unlimited. Overview and Rational Avian carriers can provide high delay, low throughput, and low altitude service. The connection topology is limited to a single point-to-point path for each carrier, used with standard carriers, but many carriers can be used without significant interference with each other, outside of early spring. This is because of the 3D ether space available to the carriers, in contrast to the 1D ether used by IEEE802.3. The carriers have an intrinsic collision avoidance system, which increases availability. Unlike some network technologies, such as packet radio, communication is not limited to line-of-sight distance. Connection oriented service is available in some cities, usually based upon a central hub topology. Frame Format The IP datagram is printed, on a small scroll of paper, in hexadecimal, with each octet separated by whitestuff and blackstuff. The scroll of paper is wrapped around one leg of the avian carrier. A band of duct tape is used to secure the datagram's edges. The bandwidth is limited to the leg length. The MTU is variable, and paradoxically, generally increases with increased carrier age. A typical MTU is 256 milligrams. Some datagram padding may be needed. Upon receipt, the duct tape is removed and the paper copy of the datagram is optically scanned into a electronically transmittable form. Discussion Multiple types of service can be provided with a prioritized pecking order. An additional property is built-in worm detection and eradication. Because IP only guarantees best effort delivery, loss of a carrier can be tolerated. With time, the carriers are self- Waitzman [Page 1] RFC 1149 IP Datagrams on Avian Carriers 1 April 1990 regenerating. While broadcasting is not specified, storms can cause data loss. There is persistent delivery retry, until the carrier drops. Audit trails are automatically generated, and can often be found on logs and cable trays. Security Considerations Security is not generally a problem in normal operation, but special measures must be taken (such as data encryption) when avian carriers are used in a tactical environment. Author's Address David Waitzman BBN Systems and Technologies Corporation BBN Labs Division 10 Moulton Street Cambridge, MA 02238 Phone: (617) 873-4323 EMail: dwaitzman(a)BBN.COM Waitzman [Page 2]

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Re: Past one terabit/second on fiber
by jim bell 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 07:09 PM 5/15/96 EDT, E. ALLEN SMITH wrote: > One problem with the development of such high-end technologies is that >they tend to increase economies of scale to the point where it's impractical to >have anything but a monopoly or ogliopoly. As well as concerns about the degree >of control such an organization may be able to exert in and of itself (acting >like a government, in essence), there's also that such an organization is >easier to pressure than a lot of small providers. Anyone have a suggested >solution, or reasons that I shouldn't be so worried? I think there are a number of reasons you shouldn't have to worry, at least about these technologies per se. What these technologies do is dramatically lower the cost of supplying the service, both allowing the usual providers to cut prices and in fact forcing them (via the market) to do so. Fiber, for example, lasts "forever," and effectively has an unlimited bandwith compared to most needs, which means that it has little cost other than the initial installation, amortized over time. You might as well forget about this 1 Tb/s fiber, for example. In order to justify such a thing, you need to have 1 Tb/s of information that you want to take from "here" to "there". A city of 1 million people would have to have a 1 Mbit/sec/person data appetite to fill that fiber, and you'd have to have a huge data infrastructure just to collect all that data in the same place. (Which would, in itself, require a mass of fibers of lower capacities.) There would probably be no need for this, either, since the data would probably not all be coming from/going to the same location. Probably the only place where 1 Tb/s fiber will be needed in the next 20+ years is undersea links, and even that is questionable. There's also the "all the eggs in one basket" problem. Send your data on 12, 80 Gb/s fibers and you have substantial redundancy. Send it on one fiber and you're more subject to downtime due to individual component failure. Secondly, fiber can be upgraded in an exceedingly economical, though granular way. As I observed a few years ago, a given cable way initially had only a single cable installed though it had capacity for three. And some of the fibers installed were probably not used immediately, due to lack of need. Finally, the fiber was probably only driven initially at a comparatively low speed (maybe 400 megabits/s, for example) but could have been later upgraded to 2.5 Gb/s, or perhaps even higher. Upgrading under those conditions is extremely cheap. The main thing we need to worry about is allowing those people with the fiber to exert influence over us to an extent greater than the cost of supplying that data-transmission service would reasonably allow. (The nosy landlord problem.) Ideally, they'd provide the fiber, we'd pay for it at a reasonable rate, and they'd be satisfied. The alternative, a busybody policy, is only practical to force on customers when the product being supplied is supply-limited. Since fiber cost is dropping like a rock, and capacity will outstrip demand for the forseeable future, there is no reason we should be limited to deal with only one organization. Jim Bell jimbell(a)pacifier.com

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