-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Fully participative electronic democracy is what you get when you cross cable TV with mob rule. I'm a little suprised no one has brought up Brunner's Oracle from _The Shockwave Rider_. For those of you who haven't read it, imagine a sort of Nintendo-meets-OTB system where you can vote- and *bet* - on the probability of certain events. Of course, the government has the means to effect the outcome of many such events (money supply, availability of crypto, who wins the Miss Teen USA pageant), but it's an interesting concept. The problem with Lance's positive reputation, et al system is that having power, money, status, influence, or a stout reputation doesn't automatically mean you're _right_. (cf. Armand Hammer, J. Edgar Hoover, Lani Guinier), and the lack thereof doesn't necessarily mean you're wrong or that your ideas shouldn't be heard (cf. Alger Hiss, the guy-who-invented-variable-delay-wipers, early Martin Luther King Jr.) -Paul - -- Paul Robichaux, KD4JZG | "Change the world for a better tomorrow. But perobich@ingr.com | watch your ass today." - aaron@halcyon.com Intergraph Federal Systems | Be a cryptography user- ask me how. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.3a iQCVAgUBLGv2eyA78To+806NAQGeVgQAoHyolj84XGw5vIwl4+SxUCEGrdk7oKwo YQ+1qmI5bYcc8ldNDBxawg5vlLpfcBa1mMydazS8grJznos8SwkAz0xsh0rqxEy7 7QpOGXFFPj+z7fInK8yNmh5X58ZVAxC7VRrfyrXP4KUc+779N3VL/dTgsz9ct9MF BjejuvMxMp4= =vloB -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----