- cypherpunks-legacy - lists.cpunks.org

Foundation for Information Policy Research
by John Young 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Source: http://www.ntk.net/fipr/ Subject: URGENT: press release - FIPR Date: Thu, 28 May 1998 16:52:16 +0100 From: Ross Anderson Title: New Independent Research Foundation Backed by Microsoft Embargoed until 11.00 Friday 29th May Too often, policy issues relating to information technology are seperately debated by two distinct grouups: technology experts and those focused on social concerns. Policy makers face the challenge of reconciling the seperate debates in areas where technology is often evolving very quickly. A new research foundation aims to provide clear advice that spans this gap and is independent of vested interests. The Foundation for Information Policy Research will fund research into how information technology affects society. It is launched at a press conference on Friday 29th May at 11.00 am. (1) Microsoft has contributed a six-figure sum to cover the launch costs. Internet service providers Poptel and Demon are also supporting the Foundation. Its independence will be guaranteed, however, by a board of trustees. (2) In the medium term it will be supported by subscriptions from a range of firms in commerce and industry. The goal of the Foundation is to promote research and understanding of the effects, and the likely future effects, of IT on society. Its areas of investigation include: (3) * the regulation of electronic commerce; * consumer protection; * data protection and privacy; * copyright; * law enforcement; * evidence and archiving; * electronic interaction between government, businesses and individuals; * the extent to which various information technologies discriminate against the less advantaged members of society; and * the new risks that computer and communication systems pose to life, health and economic well-being The Foundation will also provide a valuable resource for the press as it will be able to put journalists in touch with a wide range of experts who can explain IT issues as they arise. Contact: Caspar Bowden (Director of the Foundation) 0171 837 8706 Ross Anderson (Chair of the Foundation) 01223 334733 QUOTES The Director of the Foundation, Caspar Bowden, said: ``The IT policies (and failures) which the current government inherited, and the decisions which will be made by them in the future, will have far-reaching effects on who society's winners and losers will be. We have a duty to prevent technological innovation and development taking place at the expense of the poor, the old, the sick and the disabled. We believe that so long as we understand the social and policy implications of new technical innovations, we can make IT into a means to facilitate social inclusion. The Foundation's mission will be to achieve and to spread that understanding.'' The Managing Director of Microsoft UK, David Svendsen, said: ``It's important that we contribute to a broad and informed public discussion on these information society issues.'' The Chair of the Foundation, Ross Anderson of Cambridge University, said: ``We welcome this new source of funding for IT related research. An increase in the diversity of funding sources is almost always a good thing, and the Foundation will be particularly valuable as much of the available IT funding is directed to very short-term and narrowly technical agendas.'' NOTES (1) The press conference is at the "Scrambling for Safety" conference, at the Bloomsbury Theatre, University College, London. URL: (2) The Foundation's Director and full-time CEO, Caspar Bowden, has for the last three years been running Qualia, a consultancy business specialising in internet implementations. Before that he was a financial strategist with Goldman Sachs. He also researched IT and communications issues for Scientists for Labour. Its chair, Ross Anderson, is a faculty member at Cambridge University Computer Laboratory and has done extensive research on topics related to electronic commerce. BACKGROUND The "Millennium Bug" - the problem that many computers cannot deal correctly with the date roll-over from 1999 to 2000 - threatens to cause havoc with many systems and has been declared a national emergency by the Prime Minister. Another problem that has worried policymakers and concerned citizens is that new developments in IT may discriminate against the less well off members of society. For example, the current mechanisms for electronic commerce depend on consumers using their credit cards to order goods and services over the net. They often get a big discount for buying this way; but people without credit cards may lose out. The first task that the Foundation has set itself is to examine the underpinnings of electronic commerce. The European Commission has recently published a draft Directive on this subject and will launch a period of public consultation at the same conference at which the Foundation itself will be launched. (The draft directive is at [missing].) Other topics which the Foundation plans to investigate include: * the maintenance of public records in electronic form. We do not fully understand how to ensure that word processor files and other electronic documents created today can be safely stored for many years, and reliably made available in the future. This affects not just the new Freedom of Information Act, but also the work of future librarians and historians. * the development of copyright law. There are some industry proposals which would restrict the ability of libraries to lend out digital works. Will this mean the end of the public library, as more and more books, videos and other material become digital? What are the implications for schools and universities? What are the implications for the public, if all major sports events in future are pay-per-view? Are these developments inevitable, or is there something we can do about them? * the introduction of electronic communication between the citizen and the government has the potential to cut queues and the frustration of dealing with people on the phone. However, are these changes intrinsically more likely to favour the articulate, and to bring the most benefit to well-off people with their own computers? What technical developments are reasonably possible to ensure that all citizens get a fair deal? * the previous government's proposal for a "personal signature card" that would give access to all government services had a distinct flavour of an ID card. Are such developments necessary, or can we find workable alternatives? * the police are concerned about the spread of prepaid mobile phones, which are increasingly used by stalkers and extortionists. However, if they are banned, then how would people without credit cards obtain a mobile phone service? * there have been many disputes in the past over "phantom withdrawals" from bank cash machines, and banks have defended themselves by claiming that their computers cannot be wrong. How can this approach work when millions of merchants are selling services through a wide variety of computer systems? What will consumer rights amount to in the information age? * the failure of government computer systems - whether spectacular failure due to the millennium bug, or the continuing sporadic failures in the NHS - does most harm to pensioners, the disabled, single mothers, the unemployed and people on NHS waiting lists (who are typically elderly, female and working class). How can we encourage best engineering practice in the public sector? - - - ends - - Thanks to Danny O'Brien, UK Crypto Story: http://www.wired.com/news/news/politics/story/12624.html Web site under construction: http://www.fipr.org

1 0

Nobody comes up with a great point!
by StanSqncrs＠aol.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Unfortunately, he didn't seem to want to share it with the Cypherpunks. Nobody - << >> Of course, I do admit, that I do speak from a left POV. Which one? >> Mine. << There are so many left POVs! >> Correctamundo! We aren't a bunch of brain-washed DittoHeads like the right is. :-) Stan

1 0

Counterpane Cracks MS's PPTP
by John Young 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

http://www.counterpane.com/pptp.html Thanks to GM

11 17

Cut the mystical artist crap. (No crypto relevance here)
by nobody＠REPLAY.COM 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Don't mystify what an "artist" is, please! What the compromises have to do with are that one lives in a society with rules, mores, laws. One of those touch-shit facts of life. You can do what you want, but when it involves other people, restrictions come in. You deal with them, whether you are an artist, programmer, politician, goverment wonk, or whatever. It has nothing to do with selling out or losing integrity. If you want food and shelter and you're not living in the woods, then you have to play by everyone else's rules if you don't have the power to make your own rules. Was it Thoreau who said "Consistency is the hobgoblin of simpletons"?

5 4

KeyNote v0.1 Release Announcement
by Angelos D. Keromytis 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- To: coderpunks(a)toad.com Subject: KeyNote v0.1 Release Announcement Cc: cypherpunks(a)toad.com Date: 06/01/98, 15:56:45 KeyNote is a trust-management system, designed on the same principles as PolicyMaker, but simpler and better-defined. This is the first public release, and although the code has been tested, it is by no means guaranteed bug-free (but then, what is). That said, you can get a copy from http://www.cis.upenn.edu/~angelos/keynote-0.1.tar.gz -Angelos PS. From the README file: There should be a real README file here, but in the meantime read draft-angelos-spki-keynote-01.txt for the spec of KeyNote. There's much to be done yet to improve the user interface(s). Signature verification is (deliberately) missing from this release, but the next one will have it. The hooks are obvious in the code (search for XXX in parse_assertion.c). The makefile creates the libkeynote.a library which can be linked with other applications. The program keynote-verify can be used to verify a request, given a set of assertions and an environment. There will be a man page in the next release both for the library and the program, along with some sort of graphical UI to make assertion generation (including signing) easier. For any questions, comments, bug reports, praise, or anything else you have in mind, contact me at angelos(a)dsl.cis.upenn.edu Angelos D. Keromytis May 31 1998 -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.3ia Charset: noconv Comment: Processed by Mailcrypt 3.4, an Emacs/PGP interface iQCVAwUBNXMHfr0pBjh2h1kFAQElOgP9FyKPDQPvctQyJLl5djz4xj/edgRgQrlb YmqwVQqGrKKC/KrgUbu/A6c/RyqT1l1/nk9U4pONQaJoAtT0pQcgpYISQ2Ji/0JY tG8y+r+WqhWElgUuPxZff5jH5V3mbCDInKoe4BvkE0wwnW7QvwCSVa/nP/Ecs+1e KpiewSL6Ug8= =0f31 -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

1 0

I need a compiler!
by one4evil＠juno.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Cypherpunks, Tis I, D, again...I just have one other question...Could some of you tell me what C compilers you use...Also, could you just tell me every program you would have that has anything to do with crypto if you had the cash? I guess one would need a C compiler, a hex editer maybe, are there any crypto programs that are sort of like templates, where you set the paramiters and the program compiles the encryption for you...Pipe dream I am sure... That is about it... D. _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]

2 1

ADULT VIDEOS
by 00896450＠hyperway.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Explicit straight, gay and lesbian videos. http://www.espdirect.com/adult/ Absolutely discrete shipping within 24 hours. Visit our Web Site now... Adults only... You must be 18 years or over to visit. Click Here ********************************************************************* To be removed from our mailing lists, please send any message to: simrem(a)answerme.com Thank you *********************************************************************

1 0

Attn: Business owners...a COOL web site...FOR FREE
by free＠web.site 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Need a web site? Don't want one of those boring yellow pages? How about a javascript-enhanced web site, complete with animations and a searchable index of your products and services...a COOL web site...FOR FREE? Check out the sample site at www.the-www.com Then download the FREE software today. Again that's http://www.the-www.com Generate new leads...get better results...Get online today!

1 0

ADL_mil
by John Young 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

"ADL Special Report: The Militia Movement in America." A 1995 national survey by the ADL offers disturbing evidence that the militia movement has continued to grow. The ADL survey also found that many hard-core militiamen believe that the United States Government itself conducted the Oklahoma City bombing to create an excuse for further depriving citizens of their constitutional rights. A continuing flow of information from ADL Regional offices around the country indicates militias are operating in at least 40 states, with membership reaching some 15,000, and that these numbers could rise still higher. The following is a 40-state summary of known militia activity. ADL_mil (36 kb) [Thanks to AF]

3 3

Attn: Business owners...a COOL web site...FOR FREE
by free＠web.site 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Need a web site? Don't want one of those boring yellow pages? How about a javascript-enhanced web site, complete with animations and a searchable index of your products and services...a COOL web site...FOR FREE? Check out the sample site at www.the-www.com Then download the FREE software today. Again that's http://www.the-www.com Generate new leads...get better results...Get online today!

1 0