As for this current "idea", with an implementation of an encrypted STANDARD telnet already written and likely available soon for anonymous FTP, I think I'm being sane, not "a wet blanket". You can already get a version of the Cray telnet that implements the authentication code and hack in a reimplementation of the encryption code if you wish. See below for that. However, producing silly non-standard telnet hacks makes little sense. Perry, I *already* have the bsd4.4 Kerberized telnet with DES that comes with the BSDI distribution (original code in the US, a re-implementation on supplementary floppies in the UK) - I've had it for half a year now, and you know what? - it's of no use to me at all. Not *one* of the dozen odd sites I telnet to is running it. Maybe in several years time we'll all be running the same encrypted telnet, but for now I want *something* to keep the nosey little kids from reading my packets and if I have to ftp a short source and compile it every time I log in somewhere then that's what I'll do. I bet my telnet sessions are secure a lot sooner than yours are. The degree of that security depends to some extent on how much help I get implementing a stream cypher because I'm not sure I trust myself to do it properly. So I would really appreciate if you don't think this project is worthwhile, that you simply don't contribute rather than going out of your way to encourage others not to as well. G