On Sun, 24 Mar 1996, Timothy C. May wrote:
At 12:56 AM 3/25/96, Black Unicorn wrote:
[...]
I think, however, that if you know your stuff, and you release the source code to the list, many people here will be open minded enough to take a good look, give you some pointers, perhaps even improve your work.
While I'm certainly no expert in cryptanalysis, the situation with "Can you break this?" challenges is a special case--and an important one--of challenges in general.
To cut to the chase, why do challenges work at all? And under what circumstances?
[...]
* the challenge should come from a reputable group or individual (casual challenges of the "I dare you" sort thus get winnowed out) * the challenge should involve something "interesting"....first solo flight across the Atlantic, first human-powered flight, etc. * the challenge needs to come at the right time. There would be little interest, for example, in a challenge about the first fusion-powered flight (excluding solar-powered, which was a challenge).
[...] Points well taken. At the risk of "me too"ing, I concur. Challenges to indeed serve an important role, and I hardly meant to discourage those which have been the subject of careful pre-planning and forethought.
--Tim May
--- My prefered and soon to be permanent e-mail address: unicorn@schloss.li "In fact, had Bancroft not existed, potestas scientiae in usu est Franklin might have had to invent him." in nihilum nil posse reverti 00B9289C28DC0E55 E16D5378B81E1C96 - Finger for Current Key Information