~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SANDY SANDFORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C'punks, On Tue, 30 Jul 1996, jim bell wrote:
Even if not, chances are good that "all" of the transactions can be linked together, even if they can't be directly linked to an identifiable person. Doesn't sound too promising.
It sounds VERY promising to me. Though I'm sure Jim's conjecture about linking transactions is correct, I don't see how such an aonymous payment system could not be useful in preserving privacy. One could purchase several of these cards--preferably in the smallest denominations consistent with their mission. Each card could be used so that its audit trail left whatever impression one wished to leave. Of course, if you are arrested with one or more of them on you, they could be used to tie you to times, places and activities with which you might not wish to be associated. Proper handling could obviate or reduce this risk however. It's not as anonymous as cash, but it might draw a lot less attention in my circumstances. I think it has a place in one's aresenal of privacy enchancing technologies. S a n d y ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~