Note: There was some technical problem since yesterday to cypherpunks postings, so that my posts to the list didn't result in copies back to me. This morning I reposted these, again without success. An hour ago Igor Chudov informed me that the problem was solved and I have just verified this with a test message. I am therefore reposting once again one of my posts of yesterday here. It is a response to Jim Choate. Please ignore it if you have already seen it. Jim Choate wrote:
From: Mok-Kong Shen <mok-kong.shen@stud.uni-muenchen.de>
We were talking about a site that has to be closed because of (new) crypto laws, not technically down which is seldom with modern hardware. And also you said that money is no problem!
You need to go back and re-read what prompted this. Your responce is completely out of context.
Why you care so much about people who voluteer to run sites? They certainly know what kind of risks that they probably face, financial or otherwise. Do you care your neighbour who opens up a new company and do you feel unconditionally have to give him advices?? Are you the one who is cleverer than all the others?
It depends, do I shop there?
I'm done with this discussion. You want to expect people to put their neck on the line and you use their services while owning them nothing then wonder why nobody does it, so be it.
Let me ask you some clear questions and please give me also clear answers: If there is some person who is grown up and is not metally ill and who decides to volunteer to put up an archive site of crypto software for the benefit of those who need them, what do you have against that? Any reasonable person who plans to do some business (for profit) certainly well considers the possible risks he might have. For non-profit activities like what we are discussing it is clear that one is much more careful before launching the work. Why do you want to disuade him from doing that? If he fails, that's his fate but you don't loose a cent because of that. If he puts up a site and that has to be closed down after a couple of months because of unforeseen new crypto laws, you at least profit in that short time period of the possibility of downloading from his site and other people also profit from that. If his country has poor economy (inflation, unemployment etc. leading possibly to early depletion of his monetary resources) or bad infrastucture (total breakdown of telecommunication of his country, rendering his site no longer operable) or religion (because he is physically injured by religious fanatics and therefore unable to work), or whatever other reasons than these three that you mentioned, that's all HIS business not YOURS. He, being in his own country, should know all such risks much much better than you! Be happy that because of him you have one more possibilty of obtaining your desired software (during the time his site is operational)! If he ever gets into trouble, it will be fine of you if you will try to help him, through raising funds etc. But you are not obliged to do that. So I don't understand the motivation of your arguing up till now. I would be able to understand if you were working in an authority attempting to strengthen the effects of crypto laws, thus wishing to have as few archive sites in the world as possible, at best none. (Of course, I know absolutely nothing of you. Should I happen to have made here a wrong assumption about your occupation, then I like to offer my sincere apology.) M. K. Shen