Vladimir Z. Nuri wrote: so in a very real sense, anonymity in the phone system was considered a "problem" by some that has been "solved" or "modified" by some recent advancements. (yes, most people agree caller ID is an advancement).
Yes, and that is why some companies (e.g., Private Lines) offer anonymous out-bound calling services.
I think cpunks should hold the view that communication is a matter of mutual consent between sender and receiver. if a receiver says, "I don't want any anonymous messages", then should be able to block them. this is essentially what is happening with the remailers *right*now*, if you ask any remailer operator. people ask not to receive anonymous mail, and are put on the blocking lists. imho only the extremists are arguing, and have always argued, that they should have some ability to put an anonymous message in front of someone else against their will.
this basic rule becomes more murky when you look at public forums, because you can't really say whether given individuals reading them want to hear something anonymous or not. by designing the forum beforehand to force the situation, you solve this problem.
I find most unwanted communications objectionable, anonymous or not. How about billboards. Should the fact that I choose to be outside or on a roadway make my eye a target for ads? (If so, then why not consider having an e-mail account in a similar vein?) The fact that I can immediately, or later, identify the responsible party doesn't keep me from initially seeing the ad and taking my time. If I object, what are my alternatives? The last thing I want is monetary compensation. I want my time back. Failing this, I want the abusers time (sorta' like in Zardoz).
I do believe that in the future there will be all types of forums: those in which identity is required, those in which it is optional, and those in which it is always cloaked. this is eminently reasonable imho. those who argue against one of the above's existence (such as saying it involves a ghettoization of anonymity, that there should always be an ability to be anonymous in any communication setting) are extremists imho.
"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man." --George Bernard Shaw PGP Fingerprint: FE 90 1A 95 9D EA 8D 61 81 2E CC A9 A4 4A FB A9 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Steve Schear, N7ZEZ | Internet: azur@netcom.com Grinder | Voice: 1-702-655-2877 Sacred Cow Meat Co. | Fax: 1-702-658-2673 7075 W. Gowan Road, #2148 | Las Vegas, NV 89129 | ---------------------------------------------------------------------