TC May writes:
I see no prospect whatsover that a ban on anonymous mail could be implemented, enforced, or upheld in the courts.
Never say never. Even coming from Tim, this surprises me just a little. Never think that government won't do something. The effectiveness of their 'solution' may be minimal, but billions can be wasted, and countless lives ruined, before it can be stopped (or more likely, dammed; once government achieves power, it is loath to relinquish it without a death struggle). Some nation's groups of 'leader'-thugs may be in a better position than others to go for such a power grab at this moment in time. But any and all of them should be constantly scrutinized for the inevitable slide down that slippery slope. The "article" by our pal Martha which the SF Chronicle had the poor judgment and atrociously swollen cojones to publish, is one of the most dramatically explicit warning signs of the year so far... and NOT because the year is yet so young. And to think, Tim used to be the pessimist on this list, saved only by the reassurances of Duncan and Sandy... :-S