After exchanging email with Eric Hughes and other listmembers, I find that the previous attempt at putting together a cypherpunks FAQ seems to be moribund. I have a lot of experience building FAQs, and maintain several popular ones on USENET, including: * The PC-UNIX Hardware and Software Buyer's Guides * The list of Publicly Known Bugs in USL UNIX * So You Want To Be A UNIX Wizard? (The Loginataka) * Telebit Trailblazer how-to FAQ Accordingly, I'm able and willing to take on this job. The hardest thing about writing a FAQ is to define its scope and level of detail. Accordingly, SOP if you know what you're doing is to start by generating a list of questions to be answered, and/or an outline. I've done this below. 1. Why cypherpunks? a. Privacy is essential to freedom. b. The government cannot be relied on to protect your privacy rights. c. Technology can give individuals leverage against would-be oppressors, but only if we're sufficiently smart and dedicated to build the levers. d. Cypherpunks exists to build and propagate privacy software. 2. What are the essentials of privacy software? a. Public-key cryptosystems for secure communication. b. Unforgeable electronic signatures for message authentication. c. DC-net or similar protocols to thwart spoofing. 3. What are the potential applications of good privacy software? a. Secure communications. b. Digital cash. c. Electronic voting. d. Electronic contracts. e. <more?> 4. What are the key algorithms, tools, and implementations for privacy software? a. RSA b. DES c. Clipper/Capstone/DSS d. PGP e. Possible non-RSA trapdoor functions. 5. What are the social and political implications of good privacy software? a. Drastically lower transaction costs for trade. b. Expansion of the counter-economy. c. Disempowerment of government. 6. What are the legal, political, and technical obstacles? a. The Clipper/Capstone/DSS power grab. b. The RSA patent and the PGP/RSA fight. c. RSA's base problem may not be NP-complete. 7. What can I do to help? a. Work on cryptographic software. <this subsection should list current projects> b. Agitate against the Clipper/Capstone/DES standard. Each subsection should be written by a list expert and include pointers to published sources and other FAQs. You can help in one of three ways: 1) Volunteer to write one of the sections or subsections above. 2) Suggest more questions. 3) Identify yourself to me as a technical expert on a particular area in the outline, even if you're not willing to commit to writing it. That way I'll know whose brains to pick. I think an edited version of Tim May's glossary should go at the end. Tim, are you willing? -- Eric S. Raymond <esr@snark.thyrsus.com>