- cypherpunks-legacy - lists.cpunks.org

Re: Automated Rant Generators and Letter Generators
by tcmay＠sensemedia.net 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 7:29 PM 7/17/95, Harry Bartholomew wrote: >> >> Cypherpunks could probably have an effect on hastening this "denial of >> service" attack on the efficacy of letter-writing by releasing an >> easy-to-use package that does all this letter writing at the click of a >> button....just type in some key words, for the topics, and it does the >> rest. >> >> An interesting project, actually. >> >> --Tim May >> > A final step might be to interface the output to old pen plotters > like my HP7470A with an ascii-to-handwriting program. Akin to > the White House souvenir signature generator, but with a set of > parameters to mimic different "hands". Knuth's Metafont tricks > come to mind. By the way, I should first say that I have nothing against letter writing, and my comments about "hastening" a "denial of service" attack on letter-writing are mostly just out of general interest. Bart's comments about using Knuth's typographic work are interesting, to the extent that letters need to look handwritten. In the Mac market, it's possible to send in some handwriting samples and get back a font that emulates the handwriting! I don't think the pen plotter is actually needed--and few people would use it--as most faxes can be emulated with laser printers (due of course to the limited dots per inch resulution). In fact, most fax modems can directly fax from any screen that can produce printed output. So, the combination of handwriting fonts, automated rant generators (of varying rabidities), and fax capabilities gives a pretty good start. Using lots of handwriting samples, various other fonts, and a mix of styles in the letters will help. Anyway, where this all gets interesting is the following: * Can a kind of Turing Test be tried here? That is, in this limited domain of "letters to the editor/Congressmen," can a letter generator be implemented which generates letters effectively indistinguishable from letters and faxes generated by actual human beings? ("Effectively indistinguishable" in the sense that a human reader could not sort a set of letters into human- and machine-generated subsets with statistically significant certainty better than guessing). Of course this is also similar to the "style detectors" we so often talk about. The crypto relevance has to do with detecting patterns in letters and rants, in emulating these patterns, and (perhaps) in speeding up lobbying. (Though I agree that widespread adoption of automated letter-writing, such as the direct mail folks are already doing, will eventually just kill off letter writing as a means of lobbying.) This may also hasten the adoption, someday, of digital signatures. Congressmen and their aides may check incoming letters against databases of their consituents who have "registered" with them (lots of issues here). Merely counting the "yes" and "no" letters has long been problematic, as the Republicans have been leading in direct mail campaigns since at least the mid-70s (recall Richard Viguerie...). Increased automation will just make it even more obvious. --Tim May .......................................................................... Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money, tcmay(a)sensemedia.net | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero 408-728-0152 | knowledge, reputations, information markets, Corralitos, CA | black markets, collapse of governments. Higher Power: 2^756839 | Public Key: PGP and MailSafe available. "National borders are just speed bumps on the information superhighway."

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Re: ECM list.
by bigdaddy＠ccnet.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- >I'm also considering other strategies for gaining e$-- offering a service >on the DigiCash "cybershops" page, or just going to all my e-mail using >friends, showing them how to get their free e$100.00, and then begging them >to give me half of it. (Finder's fee? Friendly gift?) Why not offer an anonymous proxy of some kind for e-cash? You can charge per connect or per unit of time, simply to demonstrate the concept. The techniques developed for remailers(breaking up messages...accepting PGP- encrypted destinations...varying times...so on) could find an application here. If a chain could be constructed, it would help protect the identity of the user(assuming no collusion between operators). The problem is, as always, to write the code. Not to mention the ethical/possibly legal question of selling anonymity... Another possible service: selling gems of wisdom in pieces. Find or write a gem of wisdom...taking into account copyright laws and so forth. Then set up a storefront via telnet or http...a sort of kiosk. Customers can then buy secrets or portions of secrets...or percentages. Use a secret splitting algorithm to allow people to 'split the cost' of a secret and then get in touch with each other through anonymous remailers set up for that purpose by your kiosk. Depending on the information you're selling(whether it be the secret key for BlackNet or simply the contents of your CD collection), you could earn some e-cash this way. An all-or-nothing-disclosure-of-secrets protocol might also come in handy. Again, the problem is sitting down and writing the code. Has anyone made any significant efforts toward either of these yet, with or without CD$? David Molnar -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.2 iQEVAwUBMApx1+FDHpuTkgoVAQEo/Af/cmZPKI1Uk/hFbTwuQwcZbDagnAHpZkqZ WdJMUe/4RxOymB5mnfvM7bl4S4x5BrUJJ6mepQwq0/39PiJRWAJFJFnhuZoIin5o I5KCOTNQMVNdJLL7iTtZJEqrIEGhfq2lrRpbyc1wPGj+9l7tWlSfTXLl+E0z6MtZ OWEJ0mzP4eG5TQJEtObAqD5QYOhHngEN96NMYDUv6gYzZROx3zovYqrFFrJt8zr1 HkxZzpA/rGHdoCAeViLAqO42o18zRvu8j0i7VIXI/rx6rOQ6gCDs4tgjMH1BSQH4 3rMfxb0KB8Vlmd1AL1OzvhRSy9cbBvdX2D+iOC7sZQ755JBRwJKd2Q== =9YVg -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- lo...look to the sig, for there will be no sign

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Re: "Judgement Proof" and Putting Up or Shutting Up
by jgrubs＠voxbox.norden1.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- mpd(a)netcom.com (Mike Duvos) writes: > > > What's CFR? > Code of Federal Regulations? -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.2 Comment: http://norden1.com/~jim/sylvania.html iQCVAwUBMAr8cN74r4kaz3mVAQFZUgP+K/tIieWM1meiSWMfveLeF/LTLc1oLTp/ IftfXZokadfbh9RMvSXfiJvCVHZS/mRa33KG+SCNjt+K0yLWi7JrYFEmepGxFlVn NjcrZdM+lFfNc03ksgOlccZg+o7GlzBNUW3s7yN2/Y2aRss22mfJkhtWvfaqDs7h mYT4tONtNSQ= =Zp8i -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- -- WebCasters(tm) James C. Grubs jgrubs(a)voxbox.norden1.com 6817 Maplewood Avenue Tel.: 419-882-2697 Sylvania, Oh 43560 Fax: 419-885-2814 Internet consulting, HTML programing, Information brokering

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RE: Stego-Rants ?
by Bolivar Shagnasty 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Which of the following is the cleartext? ---------------------------------------- 1. Bit and byte dropout can significantly impede communication. 2. Flower and shrub planting can greatly enhance landscaping. 3. Word and phrase substitution can hopelessly disguise meaning. 4. UFO and space-alien belief can seriously damage credibility. If you *presume* my context, you easily identify (3). If only the wordlists that translate between (1), (2) and (4) were available for your inspection, you would be up the creek but you wouldn't know it. Yes, this is aba's "exxon" at work again, and yes, it seems to me that deniability through other-plausible-meaning is viable as a form of stego. Grammatical correctness is easy to maintain, and care in choosing words can preserve much apparent meaning. Bolivar

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Re: RC4 crack
by dan＠milliways.org 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

On Mon, 17 Jul 95 21:36:45 +0100 you wrote: > >Yep a telnet port is it for both reporting and getting keys, also the >WWW interface to the same. > >> I'd basicly like to be able to start the program, nice it, slam it >> in the background, and forget about it. > >Adam > Is there an easy way to integrate machines who are not on-net 24-7 into this protocol? Not all of us have dedicated lines.:) Dan Bailey ****************************************************************************** Vote Speaker Newt Gingrich for President!! Dan Bailey Worcester Polytechnic Institute, class of 1997. merzbow(a)ibm.net ******************************************************************************

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Cray Computer liquidating...
by Phil Fraering 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

According to a flier from an e-mail list I'm currently unwillingly subscribed to, Cray Computer is going out of business. Any comments and/or crypto relevance? Phil

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Re: WSJ on remailers...
by hal9001＠panix.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 14:00 7/17/95, Peter Wayner wrote: >The WSJ has a article on anonymous remailers buried in the B section. It >is pretty straightforward and ends up quoting some Finnish police officer >saying that they're not going to go raiding remailers on any suspicion. >They'll need a real crime. That Finnish comment is probably due to the fall-out/flap from their raid on anon.penet.fi in the CoS case.

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Re: Cray Computer liquidating...
by tcmay＠sensemedia.net 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 3:32 AM 7/18/95, Phil Fraering wrote: >According to a flier from an e-mail list I'm currently >unwillingly subscribed to, Cray Computer is going out >of business. > >Any comments and/or crypto relevance? This is Cray Computer, not the older Cray Research. Cray Computer was developing a GaAs-based computer that used advanced robotic assembly/packaging. Cray Research spun off the project, led by founder Seymour Cray, and the two companies were wholly separate. Cray Research remained in Minnesota, while Cray Computer was located in Colorado Springs. The split was largely arranged because Cray Research was unwilling or unable to fund both the conventional supercomputer lines _and_ the more experimental machines favored by Seymour Cray. So they let Seymour and the technology split off, and a stock distribution was arranged (I was a shareholder of Cray Research at the time, and recall the distribution). Cray Research is continuing to sell "Crays," including successors of the original Cray line and various multiprocessor machines based on the Sparc processor. Cray Computer was trying to find customers for its Cray 3 and (planned) Cray 4. The saga of the collapse of Cray Computer has been going on for the past year or so, with the last several months being the final chance to reorganize the company and keep it going. They failed, apparently, and now the final liquidation of assets is about to happen. Why didn't the Agency bail them out? Not clear, but my guess is that the advanced _process_ technology of Cray Computer was not so exciting to the NSA. The "attack of the killer micros," to use Eugene Miya's phrasing, is wiping out most conventional advanced processor attempts to get supercomputer speed. When a single piece of CMOS silicon gets 200-500 MIPS, and a bunch of them can be put together, it gets pretty hard to justify hyper-expensive GaAs or Josephson Junction or whatever technologies. Sad for Seymour Cray, especially as he'd been pumping some of his own fortune into keeping Cray Computer going, but its the nature of business. And he'll bounce back, or take a well-deserved retirement. --Tim May .......................................................................... Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money, tcmay(a)sensemedia.net | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero 408-728-0152 | knowledge, reputations, information markets, Corralitos, CA | black markets, collapse of governments. Higher Power: 2^756839 | Public Key: PGP and MailSafe available. "National borders are just speed bumps on the information superhighway."

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Re: TIME pathfinder registration
by ab411＠detroit.freenet.org 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Will Kinney <kinney(a)bogart.Colorado.EDU> writes: >> I note someone has used "cypherpunks" as a login for TIME Mag's >> WWW service. ... If so, what's the password? > >This was me. The password is "writecode", since Pathfinder didn't allow >the login and password to be the same. Perhaps in the future people might use "sknuprehpyc" in such cases? And of course, don't put the list's email address in. -- David R. Conrad, ab411(a)detroit.freenet.org, http://web.grfn.org/~conrad/ Finger conrad(a)grfn.org for PGP 2.6 public key; it's also on my home page Key fingerprint = 33 12 BC 77 48 81 99 A5 D8 9C 43 16 3C 37 0B 50 No, his mind is not for rent to any god or government.

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Re: Root Causes Roots cont.
by Michael Froomkin 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

As my final word on this thread, let me say that if you are really interested in the 9th Amendment, by far the best legal article on the subject that I know of is Charles L. Black, Jr, On Reading and Using the Ninth Amendment. I have not visited the Cato web pages, but their journal tends to be on the shallow side. I am far from LEXIS right now so I can't give you a citation for the Black article, but it is brilliant. It would also make a libertarian's hair stand on end. For hours. -- Michael Froomkin until Aug 6: michael(a)umlaw.demon.co.uk U.Miami School of Law London, England mfroomki(a)umiami.ir.miami.edu <-- this will still find me PO Box 248087 Coral Gables, FL 33124-8087 Rain. Sun. Rain. Sun. Rain.

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