-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Alex Strasheim, 12/2/95, 6:53 PM:
I don't expect Netscape, as a corporate citizen, to engage in civil disobedience. But I hope that Netscape will take seriously its obligation to protect the rights of citizens.
I do. I regard the capacity to do so as crucial, and I regard the fact that you *don't* expect them to as very telling. As has been pointed out extensively, the chances that he'll manage to hang on to his soft-earned cash until he can sell out are a long shot--unless he takes a stand against GAK. Governmental policy on the subject of crypto has relied upon secrecy, obscurity, and above all terrorizing individuals; the gov't would be extremely reluctant to throw the book Netscape, given its symbolic significance in the market. And even if it did, Clark's future would be assured--maybe after he got out of Club Fed, but assured nonetheless. Let me be clear: if Clark and Netscape said "We're implementing and releasing a version with a key length we support," crypto policy would be the lead story on the evening news--and the gov't would lose. The only question is how fast.
We understand that government officials in this country and elsewhere are
The decison that Netscpae is faced with now is a big one. It's going to have widespread and long lasting consequences for privacy and civil liberties all over the world. When you look at what's going to happen on the ground, it's probably as important as a major decision by the Supreme Court. putting pressure on Netscape. But you should understand that the public is overwhelmingly in favor of universal access to strong crypto. This is a democracy, after all, and the FBI and NSA still work for the people. If you need help standing up for what's right, you'll get it. Take your case to the public, and you'll be suprised at the response you'll get.
You set forth all these silly generalities as though they suggest that NS's best bet--for Clark, for itself, for the public--is to go along with US policy? Bullshit. Their best bet is to use their golden-boy status to sucker punch the gov't.
Why not say:
1 Netscape will follow all laws and regulations. 2 The current rules are forcing Netscape to choose between providing reasonable levels of privacy to its customers and competing in the international marketplace. 3 Netscape feels the rules should be changed to make this choice unnecessary.
Bah. Why not: 1 Make illegal software available by FTP 2 Explain it's doing so because ITAR is bullshit 3 Face the gov't down in the press and in the courts
If you make that argument publicly, you'll get widespread support from the business communitity and the general public. And if it turns out that we can't win, you can always fall back on selling totalitarian-friendly products.
If NS did this, they'd win BIG. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.2 iQBVAwUBMMHndb3g0mNE55u1AQG3cAH/dQnrTUyZRIdz1P3lTGhQzOqvG2NSWdeh YVYPN+wTZBfnBWlMwIkODAuyafbyFEGr5+lsgTBOtYDCVWFsW8LdWQ== =+Wxw -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----