Tim May writes:
My use of the term "disinformation" seems to have taken on a life of its own as "lying," with several posters saying that the truth is best, that lying is bad, and that if we have to lie we deserve to have Clipper and Capstone!
What I urge--and others are free to do as they wish--is to "educate" people by describing to them the implications as we see them. That is, we who have thought about Clipper and have seen past government depredations and abuses, have seen from the beginning how Clipper is likely to be abused, how the very concept of key escrow is anathema to basic rights, how Clipper and its Big Brethren (I just coined this) are likely to be made mandatory, etc. We see truth, not the charade of "voluntarism" and the "social need" cited by the authorities.
I'm quite satisfied with this clarification (as if it matters to any but me). Still, I believe labeling your efforts a "disinformation campaign" was a mistake. It gives the pro-Clipper people something to throw back in your face. How about changing "disinformation campaign" to "education campaign"? It has a more positive sound to it and doesn't limit you to only dry facts. Education through speculation, hyperbole, and satire can be effective and is ethical if the reader can recognize when you are engaging in speculation, hyperbole, or satire (my opinion, of course). Jim_Miller@suite.com