December 2003 - cypherpunks-legacy

Turning Peas Into Stars
by mpd＠netcom.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

In sci.math, David Madore <madore(a)clipper.ens.fr> writes: > Fanciful but true statement: it is possible to cut a pea in a > finite number of pieces, and rearrange them so as to make a ball > the size of the sun (leaving no holes, of course). Nothing to do with crypto, of course, but at least it has something to do with math. Does anyone remember Martin Gardner's April Fool's Day "Mathematical Games" column in Sci Am in which he proposed the Banach-Tarski Paradox as a practical method of turning a solid gold sphere into two solid gold spheres each identical to the original? A nice illustration of why all sets can't be measurable. -- Mike Duvos $ PGP 2.6 Public Key available $ mpd(a)netcom.com $ via Finger. $

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Re: Your login/password for SafePassage beta
by Greg Broiles 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 02:27 PM 11/27/96 -0500, Mark O. Aldrich wrote: >On Wed, 27 Nov 1996, SafePassage Downloader wrote: >> You can now download SafePassage. You'll need the following login/password: >> >> Login: cypherpunks(a)toad.com >> Password: [elided] >> >> Go to http://stronghold.ukweb.com/safepassage/ and select "Download" -- >> you'll be prompted for your login/password, after which you'll be able to >> download the software. Make sure you keep your login/password >> private. Revealing your login/password to anyone is a violation of the >> license agreement. > >Is this to say that you wrote your license agreement with the foolish >premise that an e-mail address belongs to just one person? Maybe you need >to really understand how the Internet works before you write a license >agreement based on incorrect assumptions and your personal preferences for >how things ought to be. The message that UKWeb sends with the SafePassage beta userid/password is incorrect - not because it makes any of the assumptions you're ascribing to UKWeb and license writers, but because the license itself fails to require the person who agreed to it to keep the userid/pw combination confidential. But you are entirely off the mark with your assumptions about the assumptions made by the writer of the license. I am the person who wrote the license. (Actually, I modified some pre-existing license text, merged some in from another source, and generally did the sort of copying & pasting that's considered perfectly acceptable in the legal field and is considered copyright infringement if a programmer does it.) And I made no such assumption. And I know enough about how the Internet works to laugh at anyone says they "really understand how the Internet works." (Hint: before and during law school, I worked as a consultant to ISP's who needed technical assistance.) You would do well to heed your own advice and learn something about law before making grand statements about "how [things] work". UKWeb does not enter into an agreement with anyone (or everyone) who receives E-mail. It enters into an agreement with the person who fills out the form to download the software. People and organizations who haven't filled out the form don't have an agreement with UKWeb to use the software; and absent that agreement, their use isn't legal. I'm not interested in turning this molehill into a mountain. The beta test of the software is unwittingly functioning as a beta test of the license document; this morning's message revealed something I missed when I worked on the license agreement. It will be corrected shortly. (This seems to be as good a time as any to announce that I'm now one of the Cpunks who's working at C2Net.) -- Greg Broiles | US crypto export control policy in a nutshell: gbroiles(a)netbox.com | http://www.io.com/~gbroiles | Export jobs, not crypto. |

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New white house internet commerce report
by Marshall Clow 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

the full report can be found at: <http://www5.zdnet.com/zdnn/content/inwo/1127/inwo0001.html> Whitehouse Releases Blueprint For Major Net Issues Concerning Government And Commerce By Will Rodger November 27, 1996 02:35:13 PM EST Inter@ctive Week Online The White House will release a blueprint for the governance of personal and business transactions over the Internet early next week that drafters and industry alike say marks a turning point in the Clinton administration's approach to cyberspace. The document, a product of an 18-agency working group headed by presidential Senior Adviser Ira Magaziner, covers every cyberspace major issue before governments and Internet users worldwide. Though in many ways it is a restatement of approaches already suggested elsewhere, the document urges a shift towards free market forces on the Net and a rejection of government interference in electronic commerce. The blueprint also represents the first time the administration has issued unambiguous policy statements regarding tariffs, censorship on the Internet and establishment of a body of international law for commerce. [more snipped] -- Marshall Marshall Clow Aladdin Systems <mailto:mclow@mailhost2.csusm.edu> Warning: Objects in calendar are closer than they appear.

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Re: TIA Invites
by John Young 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Adam Shostack wrote: >Did they say what they were investigating? Usually, talking >to the unworthy is not a crime. :) The TIA rep asked if I knew TR45.3 is ITAR-ed. The document has such a notice, I answered. TIA said, we've told the Feds it's on your Web site. But why tell me, I asked. Thought you'd like to know we told the Feds, TIA said.

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Re: wealth and property rights
by Murray Hayes 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

On Wed, 27 Nov 1996 15:00:36 -0800 (PST), Dave Kinchlea wrote: >On Wed, 27 Nov 1996, snow wrote: >You are clearly an angry young man. I am sorry you have such a poor >opinion of people, I am even more sorry if it is justified. You can >believe me or not, but what you describe is *not* the ordinary case in >this country. Of course, in this country we have a disgusting 10+% >unemployment rate. Even if people DO want to work, there are no jobs. > >All that aside, I can tell you do not have a family if you thing that >$6.50/hr is a living! Even accounting for the difference in our dollar, >I would say that is barely subsistence income for a single person. Are >we *all* not worthy of more than that? > Yes, there are maany angry young men in this country. Unions prevent young men from compeating in the market place. Unemployment Insurance artificialy increases the unemployment rate by 2% (this is a figure that many people more knowledgable than me have stated) welfare increases the unemployment rate by another 1%. The Canadian Pension Plan is out of money and yet I am still forced to contribute and for what??? Will it still exist when I retire? Not bloody likely. Fortunatly NAFTA has forced some of our companies to compeat or die. Take a look at Canadian. Are they gone? I didn't get to watch the news today...... I'll bet that most of the employees would gladly take a 10% wage cut to save to company but the union leaders won't let them vote on it. Why? Because they would loose power. Look at what the govn't do. Most of them just contribute to the problem by offering hand outs. They don't need hand outs! ONE gov't (Alberta) offered to lower the fuel taxes. YAAAAA RALPH!!! (Who's ecinomic reforms incidentally (sp) was hearalded by the Post as a model for govn't across North America) Cut taxes and kill the union leaders. Sorry for siting my sources..... mhayes(a)infomatch.com It's better for us if you don't understand It's better for me if you don't understand -Tragically Hip

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PO-2 Brain wave meters.
by Napalm 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Has NE1 heard of these things? Supposedly you plug it into your printer port and it shows you your brain waves so you can try to reach "alpha" waves or something. I think they cost around $500. If it`s for real you could do some neat things with it; how bout your computer waking up when you wake up... that terminator 2 plot comes closer every day.... NEway if anybody knows anything about it let`s have it. L8R -Napalm SFNF9UY(a)SCFN.THPL.LIB.FL.US

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NYC area Cpunks Meeting?
by Marc J. Wohler 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- NYC area Cpunk's, I have obtained a meeting place on the upper west side of Manhattan. It is available on Tuesday or Thursday 12/17 or 12/19. What would be your interest in a meeting (party?). Ideas & suggestions for agenda-speaker-entertainment? Season's Greetings to all, Marc -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.2 iQCVAwUBMpyrGGeikzgqLB7pAQE2xwQAyVipF2GeVLQCW2MYhfnWt0RSMb+jiSAX G9ufnekOv2Y54lpXX0rctpbjQ81bCZx4rpWfEzhnogteKhqx/DBYEH/2WCShmZW/ kk2ahsLcep30sBm3c6T3P0tN1qyi3hYHYZCOpK5ptkI1OGjX9FtGDrWSdY5lyWBT RGIxqzpZtBw= =fFNa -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

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RE: IQ and age
by jbugden＠smtplink.alis.ca 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

ichudov(a)algebra.com (Igor Chudov) wrote: >Would you dismiss strong correlations between IQ and success in life >and academia as something irrelevant? Remember: Correlation is not causation. In this as in many other correlations, unreported third factors can strongly affect the outcome. In England, Cyril Burt devised an IQ test given to English school children at age 11 in order to decide whether they should proceed through the trade school system or university system. Unsurprisingly, those with higher IQs at age 11 (whatever the reason) typically received better educations and greater monetary success in life. In France, you may find that rich parents correlate well to "success in life and academia" substantially because they achieve more frequent placement in polytechnical institutions which correspond to the best universities in the U.S. and Canada. Poorer students, independently of IQ, usually go to less capable institutions. In the U.S., the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) administered by ETS is often required for people applying for post-graduate studies. The obstensible reason is that it gives an indication of the probable ability of the applicant to succeed in the course. By ETS's own figures, the correlation is only 30% with successful completion of one year of studies and lower for full completion. There are higher correlations for other factors (incoming institution, age), yet the GMAT number is still mandatory. The draw of a single number is compelling. Did I mention that ETS is also a monopoly. Ciao, James If you can't measure it, it doesn't exist. "What hit him?" "I don't know, I didn't see."

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Re: Star Trek: First Contact
by Phillip M. Hallam-Baker 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

>> Are any of the characters in the new Star Trek gay? >The bold guy who plays Captain Picard is very gay in real life. >(He probably hated all those love episodes with women :-) Actually the opposite is the case, he is a notorious womanizer. He played a gay man in the recent remake of La Cage aux Folles and made the point that he has also played Stjannus in "I Claudius" and nobody asked if he was a homicidal maniac. Yet more proof that nothing Dimitri says is relevant or interesting. Phill

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Issuers of E-money
by Robert Hettinga 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

--- begin forwarded text Date: Thu, 28 Nov 96 01:31:21 +0100 To: dcsb(a)ai.mit.edu Subject: Issuers of E-money From: a9050756(a)unet.univie.ac.at (Mike Alexander) Sender: bounce-dcsb(a)ai.mit.edu Precedence: bulk Reply-To: a9050756(a)unet.univie.ac.at (Mike Alexander) I'd like to compile a current list of actual Internet-based E-money issuers and wich technology they are using; pls. mail me any additions to the list from the Cybercash homepage below. I will then post the complete list back here if it's long enough. (info on trials is OK also) THX American Heritage Bankcard Banque SOFINCO Barnett BayBanks Credit Corporation Boatmen's Credit Card Bank Busey Bank Chittenden Bank Compass Bank First Bank of Beverly Hills Bank of Hawaii First Bankcard Center First Hawaiian Bank First National Bank of Omaha First Union Corporation First USA Paymentech Humboldt Bank Huntington Bank Michigan National Bank National Bank of the Redwoods Norwest PNC Bank Silicon Valley Bank SouthTrust Bank Unified Merchant Services / Nationsbank U.S. Bank Vantage Services, Inc. Wells Fargo Bank Best Regards, Michael Alexander Doctoral Student at the University of Vienna -----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK----- Version: 2.6.3i mQCNAzIhxYwAAAEEALtfkL/X6GuZpEECWnmkmbqqtGwNalb94Om82VUiBE8iU1OX 2e5WXQGsq1oManSqVQn3TpVo7VE9pMJr5vITAmkEA6szGRt5zbK5u/dIqhLnJnRE sVpiY61Xw6RvQKoXX7LSqOYSCqvIiY8GJ5gRpiKQNPZVuJRqbLipmU0fPqylAAUR tDFNaWNoYWVsIEYuIEFsZXhhbmRlciA8YTkwNTA3NTZAdW5ldC51bml2aWUuYWMu YXQ+iQCVAwUQMiHFjbipmU0fPqylAQGy4QP+LjB6lZXVYFZDpoVB7j8AGvkghSsr XicZapXPmsFX6xpt+S29EF4DGoDJIDq6VLJMZ2rQ1gFfEvvWzL7ekZ3orhLSpJoO WWRZF1MNZVWBNhzxBcdK2T6yrx4cBwQX7t299Ho0y1Go69VE9e3LN8YInIXoQYp5 bc4M0u16GqmV5eI= =5l49 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To unsubscribe from this list, send a letter to: Majordomo(a)ai.mit.edu In the body of the message, write: unsubscribe dcsb Or, to subscribe, write: subscribe dcsb If you have questions, write to me at Owner-DCSB(a)ai.mit.edu --- end forwarded text ----------------- Robert Hettinga (rah(a)shipwright.com) e$, 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "The cost of anything is the foregone alternative" -- Walter Johnson The e$ Home Page: http://www.vmeng.com/rah/

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