I find it interesting that the cynical/sinister/paranoid cypherpunk list members seem to be the ones who are most able to predict the future trends of events on the Internet, particularly in areas which surround very major and very minor issues. The Tim May's and Declan McCullagh's shed interesting light on the future course of major events while the Monger's and Dog Boy's turn their precognitive abilities in the direction of the more mundane aspects of the Internet as a reflection of humanity/society. The "Spare DigiCa$h" post gave me pause to reflect how long it will be before technology is sufficiently developed that when we hit our <Pause> key, "CyberBums" will approach and offer to clean our video monitor with an oily rag. Will we be cursed for offering CyberBums a form of e$pare- change which cannot be spent on email-order wine? Will laws be passed which prevent CyberBums from approaching us for e$pare-change within two relay hops of an eCa$h site? Will CyberBums sort through our killfile dumpsters for eTra$h? Was it Kevin Mitrick whose conditions of probation required him to stay off the Internet and away from computers? Will the future bring laws which permit restraining orders against individuals accessing certain parts of the Internet? Sex offenders/sex sites; burglars/financial sites; pedophiles/children's sites? It seems to me that increasing regulations and laws surrounding the access and use of the Internet will require strict laws requiring the user to be able to show verification of identity/age/criminal history/ financial history/(approved government) reputation capital, and all manner of information to place us all in categories needed to monitor our compliance with laws and regulations. Once browsers are required by law to support a certain rating system and children manage to get around it, there will no doubt be laws passed requiring fascist monitoring of who is actually using the software.(And LEA's who demand that phone companies provide them with the ability to trace/locate cellular phone users will undoubtably want the same capabilities with Internet users, in a war against anonymity.) There will be no shortage of James Love's, Kent Crispin's and Hallam- Baker's to call for "reasonable compromise" in order to facilitate fascist censorship on things which we all "unambiguously" agree on (by _their_ way of thinking, of course). The only way to prevent the atrocities perpetrated upon our rights to freedom and liberty in physical space from becoming the norm in CyberSpace is to fight against the systems, the governments and the individuals who are striving to extend their fascist control by building ElectroMagnetic Curtains in CyberSpace, is to prepare now to fight against Electronic Oppression--to prepare for an Electronic Revolution--now. CyhperDog ~~~~~~~~~ {This post contains an Email Rating System classification of: Redundant Cowardly Anonymity.} (This means than an Anonymous Coward is posting in reference to one of his/her own posts under a second anonymous pseudonym.) -------------------------------- The first Anonymous Coward wrote:

amaninneeeedeer443553444@aol.com wrote:

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PLEASE HELP

What follows is an example of the CyberBums predicted by one of the list members some time back. This A(ssh)OL(e) is using his spambot to "Spare change?" millions of people at a time and it turns out that besides his required, basic tale of woe, that he also has the proverbial parent who is dying from cancer.

Don't send him any money. Send *ME* money. I will use it to buy enough cheap wine to enable me to throw up on my shoes. (Wouldn't you rather send your hard-earened money to an honest drunk than to a lying bum?)

CyberBum

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...

I WAS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER IN THE ATLANTA AREA. I RAN THIS BUSINESS SUCCESSFULLY UNTIL ABOUT 60 DAYS AGO. AT THAT TIME, 2 SEPARATE COMPANIES FILED BANKRUPTCY AGAINST ME FOR A TOTAL OF $ 47,000. I COULDN'T SURVIVE THAT.

CONSEQUENTLY, I WAS UNABLE TO PAY MY CREDITORS, MOST OF WHOM WERE FRIENDS. THEY HAVE FAMILY AS I DO AND I CAN'T LIVE WITH THE THOUGHT OF DOING TO THEM WHAT HAS BEEN DONE TO ME. I'VE SPENT MANY SLEEPLESS NIGHTS TRYING TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION. I HAVE NO WHERE TO TURN EXCEPT TO MY FELLOW MAN. MY ONLY FAMILY IS MY FATHER. HE IS 74 AND SUFFERING FROM DIABETES AND PROSTATE CANCER.

I HAVE SLOD EVERYTHING EXCEPT THE CLOTHES OFF MY BACK AND MY COMPUTER. AFTER THIS FINAL ATTEMPT FOR HELP, I WILL BE SELLING IT.

I WANT TO BE HONORABLE, BUT I CAN'T DO IT ALONE. I WOULD NEVER DO THIS EXCEPT AS A LAST RESORT, BUT I KNOW THAT I WOULD HELP SOMEONE IF I COULD.

WILL YOU HELP ME?? ANY AMOUT WOULD BE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. THANK YOU

W.E. HENDERSON P.O. BOX 486 SMYRNA, GEORGIA 30081