December 2003 - cypherpunks-legacy

Dark Fiber Redux
by Robert Hettinga 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Just to throw a little gasoline on the George Gilder "Dark Fiber" discussion around here, I found a huge, spiffy trove of Gilderama at: http://www.computer.org/internet/9701/gilder9701.htm Wherein the esteemed (at least I do ;-)) Mr. G says: > Remember that the fibersphere I've written a lot about is based on >wavelength-division multiplexing of tremendous amounts of bandwidth, which >can serve as a substitute for switches with all optical repeaters. And by >the way they've just developed fluoro-zirconate repeaters that can handle >the whole bandwidth of fiber. I don't know whether this technology will >actually prove out or not, but for the first time they have demonstrable >all-optical amplifiers that can handle the entire intrinsic bandwidth of >fiber, which is quite an amazing development in just a year or two. The >erbium-doped fiber amplifiers top out at 4.5 terahertz, so they can't >accommodate the potentially 25-75 terahertz that every fiber, >theoretically, could hold. What this means, of course, is that (kind of, as CDMA etc., counts a switching, I guess) like wireless, electromagnetic bandwidth, some day you'll have huge glops of non-switched fiber bandwidth to play with. In theory, at least, everyone gets a color, or frequency, and they listen on that frequency for their inbound stuff. If you want to send someone something, you literally tune them in and send it. Actually, I see these frequencies using CDMA carrier waves when it eventually happens, but you get the idea. The implications for cryptography are rather cool. I don't *think* these doped optical amplifiers interfere with so-called quantum cryptography (not to be confused with quantum computing, of course). If I remember my SciAm back issues, quantum crypto is cool, because if anyone touches the signal from Alice to Bob they're detected immediately. Or, is it that the signal drops? Can't remember which. Anyway, you need uninterrupted fiber to do QC, and that's what you have with optical non-switched amplification, whether you're disturbing the photons is another story. Anyone here know for sure? I remember discussion about this, but I don't remember the answer. Cheers, Bob Hettinga ----------------- Robert Hettinga (rah(a)shipwright.com) Philodox e$, 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "Never attribute to conspiracy what can be explained by stupidity." -- Jerry Pournelle The e$ Home Page: http://www.shipwright.com/rah/

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Gilder on CDA, Crypto Export, DES, and Financial Cryptography
by Robert Hettinga 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

It's nice to see that the clueful memes are spreading, Gilder's congenital statism aside :-). Also from http://www.computer.org/internet/9701/gilder9701.htm . > Petrie: While we're on the subject of choice, what do you think about the > First Amendment issues currently before the Supreme Court concerning the > use of legislation to block the viewing of pornography on the Internet? > > Gilder: My belief is that you don't have to change the laws to deal with > the child pornography or snuff films or other extreme cases that are > employed to justify sweeping regulation of the Net. I think they're a > distraction, they're a red herring. My 12-year-old son is on the Net all > the time and I'm eager for the evolution of techniques applicable at the > terminal to lock out certain domains of the Internet to children. But I > think that porn of sufficiently revolting character is widespread all over > the society. If the politicians want to crack down, how about the > Spectravision boxes in every hotel room? > > To focus on the Internet bespeaks another agenda. And I don't > approve of the other agenda, which is to control this new communication > system, because the way they controlled the old one has been a disaster--it > has greatly slowed the extension of bandwidth and led to this kind of > optical illusion, or nonoptical illusion, that bandwidth is somehow scarce > and difficult to create. > > Petrie: This also reminds me of the paranoia about security on the > Internet. For example, online banking on the Internet requires you to have > a US-grade security browser, a user ID, and a password to access the same > service you can use three digits to access by telephone. > > Gilder: I completely agree with that observation. There is a paranoid note > in this encryption and privacy issue. But I think corporations do have a > real problem. If you're sending billions of dollars of value across the > Net, you've created a huge incentive for people to break your codes and > skim off some small proportion of your value flow. > > Petrie: But we're not talking about financial transactions. Those have been > secured for quite some time. > > Gilder: But how? They're using the DES (data encryption standard) algorithm > which is a fairly low level of encryption employed by banks for > transmitting funds. I know it works--I really don't agree with the thesis > that the Internet is insecure--however, I'm willing to imagine there are > applications where you want more security than currently exists. But we are > talking about a lot of issues here all at once. The encryption issue about > terrorism, for example. Banning strong encryption in order to thwart > terrorists means that only terrorists will have strong encryption. I really > think that's accurate--or at least only foreign countries will be able to > have encryption. So the encryption technology will tend to move overseas > where it's completely beyond the reach of US security. > > I think the government's going to figure out that they want the best > encryption to be American. And to disagree with the current wisdom, there > is an arms race. The arms race is with the terrorists. There's no question > about it. But there is no quick technical fix for this arms race. The > government has to understand this is a dynamic rather than a static arms > race, and you won't be able to solve the problem by treaty. The problem is > that of evil in the world, and it's something all of us, including people > who want a wild and woolly Internet, depend on our government to address. ----------------- Robert Hettinga (rah(a)shipwright.com) Philodox e$, 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "Never attribute to conspiracy what can be explained by stupidity." -- Jerry Pournelle The e$ Home Page: http://www.shipwright.com/rah/

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A Moment of Your Time Please
by friend＠your.friend.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

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Why keep that cash in the US?
by Adam Shostack 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

HOUSTON (AP) -- The U.S. government can seize $7.9 million from the bank account of Mexico's former top drug prosecutor, who was accused of taking bribes from drug traffickers, a jury decided Saturday. http://www.cnn.com/US/9703/15/mexico.money.ap/index.html Adam -- "Well, that depends. Do you mind the end of civilization as we know it?"

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Re: Triangle Area {Coder,Cypher}punks Group
by dlv＠bwalk.dm.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

The Deviant <deviant(a)netlite.com> writes: > > On Sun, 16 Mar 1997, Simon Spero wrote: > > > [Partial resend from when the cryptography was down] > > > > > > Anybody interested in starting a Triangle area cpunks? Seems to be > > enough folks in the area to start putting together some regular > > physical meetings; since there's starting to talk about putting togethe > > a triangle-wide PKI pilot, now's a great time to get started. > > > > If you're intersested, please ack so I can get an idea if Mayberry RSA is > > going to fly or not > > > > Simon > > Count me in for triangle cpunks... Pink triangle? > Just no meatings on the first or third fridays of the month... > > --Deviant > PGP KeyID = E820F015 Fingerprint = 3D6AAB628E3DFAA9 F7D35736ABC56D39 We came to WashDC cpunk physicals a few times and it wasn't worth it. There's an interesting exhibition of Romanoffs' jewerly at the Corcoran - much more fun than any cpunks we've ever met. > Sendmail may be safely run set-user-id to root. > -- Eric Allman, "Sendmail Installation Guide" Well, do you, punk? :-) --- Dr.Dimitri Vulis KOTM Brighton Beach Boardwalk BBS, Forest Hills, N.Y.: +1-718-261-2013, 14.4Kbps

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Froomkin in the news
by Brad Dolan 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

A Moot-Court dry run of the upcoming CDT hearing by the Supremes was held Thursday in San Francisco and carried today by C-SPAN2. None other than our own M. J. Froomkin was one of the mock berobed ones. His vigorous pro-CDT probing of the ACLU anti-CDT guys was probably good practice for them, but he sure gave me the impression he really believed what he was saying. Brad ... Who has resolved to hold his nose and renew his ACLU membership.

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Froomkin in the news II
by Brad Dolan 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

A Moot-Court dry run of the upcoming CD_A_ hearing by the Supremes was held Thursday in San Francisco and carried today by C-SPAN2. None other than our own M. J. Froomkin was one of the mock berobed ones. His vigorous pro-CD_A_ probing of the ACLU anti-CD_A_ guys was probably good practice for them, but he sure gave me the impression he really believed what he was saying. Brad ... Who has resolved to hold his nose and renew his ACLU membership.

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Stereotypes and other Shenanigans
by shiftcontrol＠nml.guardian.co.uk 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Ireland. The land of the little people; the Emerald Isle of Yeatsian yearning and pastoral simplicity; a Celtic oasis free from the madness of modern life. As if. This week we present the Oirish issue of Shift Control, inspired not so much by St Patrick's Day as by the clichés enveloping it. Our Hibernian hypertour starts with a look at 10 Legends of Blarneyland, an examination of fables and stereotypes that takes the 'pub' out of 'Republic' and identifies the myths in the mist. Following this, Connor O'Conn, one of the great Conns of Irish letters, casts his sceptical eye over 10 Irish literary masterpieces. And in Shamrock 'n' Roll Nicholas Allen tunes his ear to Irish contributions to the world of pop music, from Daniel O'Donnell to Boyzone. Our quiz this week asks how wild you are about Wilde, and in Around the Word we bung 'Cork' into the search engines. Also this week: a man gets high on skis, hygiene-freaks get a mouthful of foam, Kate Spicer gets drunk, and you get a chance to win books, CDs, fame, and £200. And finally Freebee, our animated bee and pop historian, presents a new chapter of his memoirs and lets you send another animated online postcard. It's all yours, it's all free, and it's all at http://www.shiftcontrol.com Cheers, The Shift Control Team Shift Control is produced by the Guardian's New Media Lab with help from Boddingtons and Stella Artois Dry

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No Subject
by Bovine Remailer 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Tim C[unt] May's IQ is lower than the belly of a pregnant snake. <<<< o(0-0)o -ooO-(_) Ooo-- Tim C[unt] May

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No Subject
by Ross Wright 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

=-=-=-=-=-=- Ross Wright King Media: Bulk Sales of Software Media and Duplication Services http://www.slip.net/~cdr/kingmedia Voice: 415-206-9906

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