December 2003 - cypherpunks-legacy

Re: Oregon License Plate Site in the News Tonight!
by tcmay＠got.net 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 2:49 AM 8/9/96, John F. Fricker wrote: >Isn't that the role of legislation? To implement solutions that society >would not do on it's own? > >The enabling technology is obviously off the self. > >I think you may have misinterpretted my last sentence which was supposed to >have had a ? at the end. Where's the proof reader when you need one! "To implement solutions that society would not do on it's own?" Would not do, or could not do? It is within anyone's power to ask their psychiatrist what form of encryption he uses to protect his files. Likewise with doctors and hospitals. (Though I freely admit that one would not be likely to get very far. For at least the next decade or two, the reaction will likely be "Huh?" But "legislation" mandating a form of encryption is not the answer. For many reasons.) On this list at least, calls for passing laws to implement societal solutions are not usually smiled upon. This is not to say such discussions are out of bounds, only that you'd better make some persuasive arguments and not just appeal to our common sense sympathies for social engineering and more laws. --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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Oregon DMV database: "Needs a good home"
by jim bell 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

The Oregon DMV database needs a new home. I've seen a few mentions of willing volunteers, but I've deleted the notes. Could you re-send offers of interest to me? Thanks. Jim Bell jimbell(a)pacifier.com

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Re: Imprisoned for Not Having a Gun?
by tcmay＠got.net 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 6:57 AM 8/9/96, The Deviant wrote: >I agree with you. I don't have anything against guns, but either >requiring them or disallowing them is just plain dumb. It should be >noted that the Supreme Court's interpretaion of "Congress shall make no >law" is basicly "no lawmaking body that holds any jurisdiction shall make >no law"... On this last point, I used to think so, too. However, one of the law professors on one of these lists gave various examples purporting to show that this is not so, that local jurisdictions can and do pass laws which Congress is not permitted to pass. If they read this, they can comment. --Tim 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: Oregon License Plate Site in the News Tonight!
by Duncan Frissell 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 12:26 AM 8/9/96 -0700, David Wagner wrote: >I say, what we need is a little more abuse. I say, a well-publicized >incident of abuse of the driver's license database can do more to >help the cause of privacy than any amount of intellectually compelling >debate. Perhaps one horrible incident of abuse would ignite enough >public backlash to stop states from selling their databases at the >drop of a hat. The murder of the actress Rebecca Schaefer (sp?) by an obsessed fan (who paid a private detective to get her address from the California DMV) did cause California to somewhat restrict license and registration information. I think they eased up though later. I don't know who can get info there these days. This particular problem can be avoided privately by reporting a mail drop rather than your real address to the state. DCF

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alien life found
by pjb＠ny.ubs.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

it's no good them showing up now. welfare for alien life forms, even if they are just germ life forms, is definitely out, as of right now, so they shouldn't even ask. -paul crypto relevance? it's obviously, isn't it? > From cypherpunks-errors(a)toad.com Wed Aug 7 18:47:42 1996 > X-Sender: schryver(a)radiks.net > X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Light Version 1.5.2 > Mime-Version: 1.0 > Content-Type> : > text/plain> ; > charset="us-ascii"> > Date: Wed, 07 Aug 1996 05:20:33 -0500 > To: cypherpunks(a)toad.com > From: Scott Schryvers <schryver(a)radiks.net> > Sender: owner-cypherpunks(a)toad.com > Content-Length: 380 > > NBC News at Sunrise has just announced the discovery of alien life on the > planet Mars. The lifeform that became extinct more than 2 billion years > ago was found as a fossil in a meteor that originated from mars and landed > on earth. The fossil found was a primitive germ life form. > > PGP encrypted mail preferred. > E-Mail me for my key. > Scott J. Schryvers <schryver(a)radiks.net> > >

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Re: Imprisoned for Not Having a Gun?
by Peter Trei 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Tim writes: > > Regarding that town nearby that passed a _requirement_ that all households > have a gun: [...] Quite a while back, I read an article in National Rifleman (the NRA magazine), that for part of the 19th century it was the law that all adult men in the Balkan statelet of Montenegro must carry a pistol when in public (a close relative of the ruler had a monopoly on the manufacture and sale of firearms in the kingdom). Traveler's reports noted the extreme civility of Montenegrin society during this period. Peter Trei trei(a)process.com

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Re: "Thank you for not smoking" and other euphemisms
by Peter Trei 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

> (And then there's the "sliding scale donation suggested," say, from $5 to > $15. Presumably this is the embodiment of pure Marxist theory, "from each > according to his ability, to each according to his need." Be interesting to > see their reaction if one declined to make any donation.) > > --Tim May This summer I went to meet my wife at the American Museum of Natural History in NYC, and discovered that I had a total of 10 cents in pennies in my pocket - and that they took only cash or checks, and the 'suggested donation' was $6. The nearest cash machine was several blocks away. So, I paid 10 cents. The cashier took it without batting an eye, gave my my donor's tag (they no longer use the little metal ones depicting a dinosaur (sigh)), and said 'Thank you'. Peter Trei trei(a)process.com

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Re: PGP Mailer for the masses ?
by geoff＠commtouch.co.il 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- To: provos(a)wserver.physnet.uni-hamburg.de, coderpunks(a)toad.com, cypherpunks(a)toad.com Date: Fri Aug 09 15:56:37 1996 Niels, Thanks, for describing the features of Pronto Secure :) This is how Pronto Secure matches up to your checklist: > Here is just a short list what such a programm should be able to > do: ( all options should be optional ;) > > Sending Mail: > - Clear signing of outgoing mail YES > - If public key of recipients is known encrypt with those keys YES > - If there is access to a public keyserver try to get a public key > for the recipients YES > Receiving Mail: > - While reading mail ( similiar to premail ) try to check existing > signatures if public key is available otherwise try to get > public key from server YES (do on the fly signature checking as mail arrives in inbox) > - Traverse the web of trust and show how the public key is > related to one own keys to mutual signatures on other public keys > ( For example mean distance to a key signed by the recipient > himself ) NO (we handle certification by allowing the user to modify a list of trusted certifiers for signing keys) > - If the mail contains a public key add it to the keyring NO (Key is shown as an attachment icon double click on it adds it to the keyring) > - Don't show pgp blocks in Mail since they might confuse YES > Keymanagement: > - Should be integrated in the addressbook together with E-Mail > Address and name. YES > - Keys should be imported via generation or via mail or via a file YES (or the clipboard) > - If you have a public key without an entry in the addressbook > take the EMail and Name from the public key YES (or prompt user to supply address) > - One should be able to sign the keys during import if origin is > known NO (signing keys is a separate process. This gives the user an opportunity to authenticate on another channel) > Misc: > - Passphrase should be kept in memory for a definable time, 0 for > immediate deletion, thus you would be prompted for the passphrase > each time you use it. Question about Windows Swapspace ? or tag the > memory as uncacheable ? NO (Keyboard sniffing is too easy to do in Windows, This would give a false sense of security) > I would suggest creating a library with seperate io and gui parts in > order to motivate peeple in helping who do not want to support > mainstream products like Windows. Like taking the PGP 3.0 lib ( is it > out yet ?) and modify it a bit. YES (Separating UI from security functionality is also the right way to go for offering plug in security providers) > Since there are a variety of good functioning mailers available > already it wouldn't make sense developing the whole stuff but instead > only integrate the library into existing products. NO (It will not be an easy task to design a general library of UI elements that any mail client will be able to seemlessly plug into.) > Do you think that such proposal is senseable and that there are > people who would be willing to support the idea with programming > affords ? It exists. Plus a few additional features not mentioned, and a much longer wish-list in the process of being implemented. Check it out. It is available from http://www.commtouch.com/p1.htm IMPORTANT: COMMTOUCH WILL GIVE A FREE COPY OF PRONTO SECURE TO ANY MEMBER OF THE CODERPUNKS/CYPHERPUNKS LISTS SUPPLYING USEFUL FEEDBACK ABOUT THE PRODUCT. The impressions of early users of Pronto Secure can be viewed at: http://www.commtouch.com/testers.htm (many of whom are list members) Regards, Geoff. - --------------------------------------------------------------- Geoff Klein, Pronto Secure Product Manager; www.commtouch.com My PGP public Key 1814AD45 can be obtained by sending a message to geoff(a)commtouch.co.il with "Get PGP Key" as the subject. - ---------------------------------------------------------------- -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.3i Charset: noconv iQCVAwUBMgs1ikLv5OMYFK1FAQGe/gP/RdXtVIwo7aupkJn6X4VNTuNHHymPf9fJ k7FAsONAAP9qbr4UaWzJXxWuvmxLgt5gsMpk6yzp6vY80krQqPf6SqphW7FOjGTq PB05bNLDHm9SRGjVvKRHzGbOr094gkFpeso2C3MeMiDbT0J5gsLJOeMJsIb4NW2A lHZ6e+o535w= =R2jc -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

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Re: Tim's Mac Tales
by jya＠pipeline.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Thaks to Tim for politely noting that I alfingered most admirable Gordon Moore as mal intendu Intel-inside wheeler-dealer. That's actually Andy Grove, el supremo maestro of Intel intel despicably untellable -- except to those deep, deep inside black budgeteering. A crank SciFi fantasy, to be sure, long ago, and well into the intel futures, disproven. Like NASDAQ never cheats consumers.

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Re: Oregon License Plate Site in the News Tonight!
by Bill Stewart 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Cypherpunks, Aaron - >> I'm watching the LA NBC news channel, and they report that the Oregon "look >> up any license plate" Web site is causing a flap. Though apparently legal, >> the critics admit, the Governor wants the material removed. ( Aaron Nabil's page is at http://www.i.net/cgi-bin/plates , but temporarily won't give you license plate information.) A nice touch, at least for now, would be to put up some propaganda about "The State of Oregon sells your license plate information to anyone who wants to buy it. Big companies have it. Small sleazy companies have it. Tax collectors have it. Car thieves and burglars can buy it if they want. Everybody but _you_ has it -- I've put it on the net so you can have it too. If this bothers you (and maybe it should), don't complain to the governor about it being on the web - complain that the State is selling your private data. I've taken the server down temporarily, but press HERE for the Governor's info, HERE for Senator Hatfield (AAA001), and HERE for the DMV head bureaucrat?" If you want to get fancy, you could have the search return a FOUND / NOT FOUND record, so people could check for vanity license plates (if Oregon has them), or search for well-known politicians' information. The data's there; it's just a matter of crunching it. "Big Bro knows License Plate AAA001, Mr. M. H. " "Big Brother doesn't know License Plate AAA" # Thanks; Bill # Bill Stewart, +1-415-442-2215 stewarts(a)ix.netcom.com # <A HREF="http://idiom.com/~wcs"> Defuse Authority!

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