Lord, I'm going to get in trouble for writing this message... (And Phil, if you happen to read Cypherpunks now and read this, understand the context of my comments...) At 12:57 AM 7/31/95, K. M. Ellis wrote:
I generally try to avoid buying anything with the word "Infobahn" on it, but in the premiere issue of this new magazine there's a 5-page article about Phil Zimmerman written by Jeff Elliot (of the National Review...but it's a good article anyway ;). It's pretty good--if anyone is new to the ongoing Zimmerman drama it's a good sum-up.
It may be a good article, but as soon as I saw yet another "personality" interview with PRZ in the new trendzine "Infobahhn," I put the issue back on the shelf. (Not just because of the PRZ personality piece, but because I'm ODd (that's "overdosed" to you younger folks) on "Wired," "Mondo 2000," "Access," "Ray Gun," "The Net", and all the slightly more technical magazines like "MIME World," "Java Times," and "Diffie-Hellman Newsletter" (yes, these last three items are fictitious). Just my opinion, but I think the Information Superhypeway is indeed being over-hyped. In case you're wondering, I did indeed agree to be photographed for the cover of "Wired" #2, a few years ago. All I can say is, "I'm sorry." Bay Aryans can attest to the fact that in the last several months I've refused to have anything to do with the various hypings and personality profiles the info rags are so focussed on. I enjoyed talking to Timothy Leary for a few minutes at a party, but refused to appear on camera with him in a "Cypherpunks on parade" segment for a Japanese television program. I'm not condemning those who do interviews--I did a few myself--but I think there' something to be said for avoiding the "personality profiles" which so superficially cover the issues. (At least it's not (yet?) as bad at the media's fascination with Mitnick and Shimomura....I about barfed to read the tale of "The Hooker and the Hacker" in the latest "Esquire," the one with Cindy Crawford on the cover. Then, just today, my younger brother told me he'd been reading about Mitnick and Shimomura in "Rolling Stone.") Anyway, flame away with your claims that publicity is good, that the dozens of PRZ interviews are doing some good. I'm becoming more of a Zen Buddhist monastic skeptic on these issues every day. --Tim May, happy to be far from the madding crowd .......................................................................... Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money, tcmay@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."