Andy Dustman wrote:
The main problem I see with the various key-passing schemes is that they
aren't useful if the receipient is cryptographically-challenged, which is
why I'm presently inclined to stick with just the magic cookie exchange
without crypto (unless the recipient can supply a PGP public key).
Andy seems to realize something that many people don't, which is
that all of the cypherpunk discussions as to security, privacy and
anonymity are just preaching to the converted unless the end result
is a program that the average joe can actually use.
I am personally GUI-challenged, but that is what most people know
and can actually work with. Even then, the average user doesn't know
enough about his or her system and software to do anything remotely
exotic to install it.
What you or I might consider simplistic (e.g. changes to a config.sys
file), might be a journey onto dangerous ground for someone who may have
to pay someone $50.00/hr or more in order to get their machine running
again if something gets screwed up.
The bottom line is that people want something that they halfway
recognize and feel comfortable with, and is written to be self-
installable by someone who actually knows what the hell all those
things inside their computer do.
I used to tell people, "I invented a pill that cures Alzheimer's,
but it doesn't do any good, because nobody remembers to take it."
If the goal is to make anonymous remailers available to those
who need them, then one must also consider the computer knowledge
and capabilities of those who have a genuine need for anonymity
for safety reasons.
Assholes and the spammers will always take the time to learn what
they need to know to spread their bullshit, but what about people
who have a one or two-time legitimate need to pass information
along in saftey?
Even though unencoded, direct use of an anonymous remailer is not
that complicated, many people today think that a command line is
"Sit, Rover, sit!" and if you ask them about syntax they look at
you funny and say they think they paid it when they bought the
condoms.
Raph Levien's list of remailers is great, but he fails to give
simple instructions as to how to get remailer help/instructions
from different remailers. And some of the remailers autobot help
replies are rather vague even to those who know computers well.
The Anonymous Nymserver was a great,
easy to use GUI interface that Jane Average could use, but it
seemed to be some kind of interesting programming project to
its author, who folded at the first hint of trouble, expressing
great surprise that there are assholes in the world.
After folding, his great concern seemed to be to find somebody
to buy his software, which he had just finished explaining would
cause a great deal of grief to anyone who chose to run it.
(And if you act now, we'll stab you with the Amazing Ginzu knives!)
Actually, however, he is still providing services for people
who pay a slight sum ($20/yr ??), so he is actually furthering
the spread of anonymous remailers, even if he is limiting them
in some ways.
(I had no problem with him wanting some reimbursement for his
efforts in writing the software. It's just that he sounded like
he wanted someone to pay premium dollars for his learning curve
in order to buy his software so that they could run it as a
free service to others.)
If remailers are to survive, then programs have to be written
that address the capabilities and morals of a new breed of user.
Although I appreciate the efforts of many cypherpunks who
originally had a hand in developing the remailer system, I am
not so naieve as to think it was all done merely for humanitarian
reasons, etc.
The question is, now that many of the cypherpunks have moved on
to busier lives, and the programming details that were once "fun"
are now "work," are there still those who have a committment to
advance the development of the remailers, at least partially as
a public service, or to encourage and help those who may not
have the expertise, but who are willing to learn?
I have read complaints about the thanklessness of providing a
service that provides an avenue for abuse, with little indication
of actually providing essential privacy needs for those in genuine
need of security in anonymous communications. Yet those most in
need of this type of service for legitimate anonymity may only
be a one-time user, and computer illiterate, unable to use anything
other than a GUI.
If the cypherpunks want to wax eloquently about good intentions
then we must change the technology to enable those intentions to
come to fruitation in today's Net climate, or remailers will
go the way of the dinosaurs, being of use only to a few elite
and a plethora of assholes.
Although I have little expertise in the technical area surrounding
remailers, I do not take lightly my call for the remailer theorists
to actually walk their talk, and produce a product suitable for
general use. I have risked my physical freedom in the past in order
to bring information and knowledge to those in oppression, and will
likely do so again in the future.
(As a matter of fact, one of the items which I risked life and limb
carrying into a fascist state was a cypherpunk product. Spooks who
get caught doing this get 'traded' back to the home team, but ordinary
citizens do not.)
TruthMonger
