Perry E. Metzger wrote:
They can build what they like, Tim. The protocols being defined right now by the IETF do not include provisions for escrow. Thus far, no one from the NSA, or even TIS, has come up to me and said that I should change the draft RFCs that I am writing. Any such OS support for SKE in Microsoft software would not be interoperable with anyone else's software. Since the bulk of the internet does not run on Microsoft platforms, and since Microsoft doesn't sell things like routers and the like, even Microsoft has to interoperate if they want their packets to move past the local ethernet.
Good! I'm glad to hear that such developments make a "takeover" of Internet protocols less likely. (Even better might be a heavy international involvement, with folks from countries that are not malleable and controllable by the New World Order Task Force.) Despite my periodic alarms, I'm pretty optimistic about our chances for escaping the "Big Brother Inside" future--my Cyphernomicon should make this optimism clear. Although I'm an admitted extremist in my views, I do try to steer clear of the two extremes: Extreme 1: It's all over. Big Brother is here. Give up. Extreme 2: We've already won. It's all over. They can do nothing to us. I think we're somewhere in between, with some frightening laws on the horizon (look at the War on Drugs, civil forfeiture, tax laws, currency reporting requirements, health care proposals, etc.), but also with some new "degrees of freedom" that make control very difficult. The war isn't over yet. --Tim May -- .......................................................................... Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money, tcmay@netcom.com | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero 408-688-5409 | knowledge, reputations, information markets, W.A.S.T.E.: Aptos, CA | black markets, collapse of governments. Higher Power: 2^859433 | Public Key: PGP and MailSafe available. Cypherpunks list: majordomo@toad.com with body message of only: subscribe cypherpunks. FAQ available at ftp.netcom.com in pub/tcmay