Charge you for performing services? Shudder -- how horrible! Capitalism! Ohmygod!
I count this comment as an intentional misreading of my position. I am not a libertarian, nor is it likely that I ever will be. I've also read E. F. Schumacher's _Small is Beautiful_ and thought much of it was just plain wrong, or, at best, unprovable. I read your words as an attempt to enforce a sort of libertarian political correctness, as insulting as that phrase will no doubt be to you. The agenda of privacy is orthogonal to most partisan political positions. As strong as the libertarian presence is on this list, it is by no means the only view. It is precisely because cypherpunk issues cut clean across the political spectrum that they are so powerful. I expect no one here to wear seamless garments of any cut or cloth. There are many on this list whose personal agendas call for making the world safe for greater accumulations of capital. This is not at all my agenda, yet I have put aside my repugnance at this in pursuit of a common goal. While I expect no one to hold to any particular view, I do expect that everyone here treat opposing views with respect, or better yet, with silence. The cypherpunks list is about creating privacy. We assume that everyone here wants the availability of more privacy than they currently have. We need not debate the particulars of these reasons, nor need we suppress the statements of these reasons. I am perfectly happy with individuals stating their own reasons for desiring privacy; these statements are powerful and useful, yet they should not engender debate on this list as to their propriety. Should anyone insist on debating belief, private e-mail is always available. I know that when the goals of personal privacy are achieved that the people and opinions that currently cohere on this list will fragment and splinter. I do not want this dispersal to happen, however, before our goals are acheived. Disrespect for each other, or, in other words, bone-headed stupidity, will certainly accomplish a premature dissolution. Let us work together while we need to, and no longer. Eric