The fact that PGP is available on the Cypherpunks FTP site, soda.berkely.edu, was publicized in sci.crypt last week (among other places and times). Eric said that the Cypherpunks FTP site has become among the top FTP access points in the world. When Stanton McCandlish posted on sci.crypt that he had PGP available on his system, he quickly received threats from Jim Bidzos demanding that he remove it. It follows, doesn't it, that Jim Bidzos would be forced to apply similar legal pressure to the Cypherpunks leadership to get them to remove PGP from their site, a site which may be one of the leaders worldwide in distributing PGP. Now we see Tim suggesting (in the spirit of "pancritical rationalism"? I'm not so sure...) that we move away from PGP, and Eric offering arguments showing why Bidzos has to do what he is doing. Is there a connection? Are Tim and Eric under pressure from Bidzos to get PGP off their site? I don't know, but they would certainly be likely targets for Bidzos' efforts, and so it is understandable that they may be feeling personal discomfort. But I'd like to hear more about the relationship with Bidzos. Hal
A short reminder: If you are the government, or you work for the government, you can use PGP. The conditions under which you can use it might be fuzzy (ie: can I use it to encrypt mail to send to this list, which is not work related), but you can definately use it for your work. -- J. Eric Townsend jet@nas.nasa.gov 415.604.4311 NASA Ames Numerical Aerodynamic Simulation | play: jet@well.sf.ca.us Parallel Systems Support, CM-5 POC | '92 R100R / DoD# 0378 PGP2.1 public key available upon request or finger jet@simeon.nas.nasa.gov
soda.berkely.edu, was publicized in sci.crypt last week (among other places and times).
I have tried to make sure that it's not widely publicized, for reasons stated below.
Eric said that the Cypherpunks FTP site has become among the top FTP access points in the world.
No. I said that the cypherpunks site on soda is the most active one on soda. Quite a difference.
When Stanton McCandlish posted on sci.crypt that he had PGP available on his system, he quickly received threats from Jim Bidzos demanding that he remove it.
Look. Bidzos is under fiduciary responsibility to exercise due diligence in making sure unlicensed software is not distributed. If Bidzos were to get fired for not doing it, someone else would come in and do exactly the same thing.
It follows, doesn't it, that Jim Bidzos would be forced to apply similar legal pressure to the Cypherpunks leadership to get them to remove PGP from their site, a site which may be one of the leaders worldwide in distributing PGP.
I've know Bidzos for a little over a year. I've been distributing PGP ever since the ftp site went up. Not once have I ever told Bidzos I'm doing this. If I did, he'd have no choice but to stop it, having been personally informed that infringement was occurring at a particular place under a known agent. I've asked Hugh Miller not to advertise the site publicly, not because I don't want it used, but because I don't want it to go away. The site is registered with archie; if you want it, you can find it. Sometimes you have to be loud to get things done; sometimes you have to be silent. Domestic distribution of PGP right now is something best done in silence.
Are Tim and Eric under pressure from Bidzos to get PGP off their site?
Tim doesn't have anything at all to do with the ftp site. I do it on a guest account on the machine, which for tactical reasons of software distribution I'd like to keep. I have never heard anyword from Bidzos that he even knows about the soda site, let alone that I maintain it, let alone any pressure to remove PGP from it. Eric
participants (3)
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Eric Hughes -
Hal -
jet＠nas.nasa.gov