Re: ArcotSign (was Re: Does security depend on hardware?)
Doug, I'd just like to thank you for replying. Even without looking at your description, the fact that you are willing to talk to doubters and admit the limitations of your technique make me a lot more comfortable believing that you have something. You don't fit into either of the two standard types of snake-oil salesmen: The "I can't tell you because it's secret" sort, and the "it's totally unbreakable, cures world hunger and disposes of nuclear waste" sort. Not that people still don't wonder, but I thought I'd temper the technical grilling I see heating up with some appreciation for the fact that you've already managed a better impression than 95% of the crypto wannabes out there. -- -Colin
At 11:52 PM 9/21/98 -0600, Colin Plumb wrote:
Doug, I'd just like to thank you for replying. Even without looking at your description, the fact that you are willing to talk to doubters and admit the limitations of your technique make me a lot more comfortable believing that you have something. You don't fit into either of the two standard types of snake-oil salesmen: The "I can't tell you because it's secret" sort, and the "it's totally unbreakable, cures world hunger and disposes of nuclear waste" sort.
Not that people still don't wonder, but I thought I'd temper the technical grilling I see heating up with some appreciation for the fact that you've already managed a better impression than 95% of the crypto wannabes out there.
Hey, I don't ally myself with the clueless. Bruce ********************************************************************** Bruce Schneier, President, Counterpane Systems Phone: 612-823-1098 101 E Minnehaha Parkway, Minneapolis, MN 55419 Fax: 612-823-1590 Free crypto newsletter. See: http://www.counterpane.com
Colin Plumb wrote:
Doug, I'd just like to thank you for replying. Even without looking at your description, the fact that you are willing to talk to doubters and admit the limitations of your technique make me a lot more comfortable believing that you have something. You don't fit into either of the two standard types of snake-oil salesmen: The "I can't tell you because it's secret" sort, and the "it's totally unbreakable, cures world hunger and disposes of nuclear waste" sort.
Clearly I failed to understand this, then: "This note doesn't tell everything about our method--we *are* developing a commercial product, after all..." which somehow doesn't translate to "I can't tell you because it's secret", it seems. Cheers, Ben. -- Ben Laurie |Phone: +44 (181) 735 0686| Apache Group member Freelance Consultant |Fax: +44 (181) 735 0689|http://www.apache.org/ and Technical Director|Email: ben@algroup.co.uk | A.L. Digital Ltd, |Apache-SSL author http://www.apache-ssl.org/ London, England. |"Apache: TDG" http://www.ora.com/catalog/apache/ WE'RE RECRUITING! http://www.aldigital.co.uk/
At 11:55 AM 9/22/98 +0100, Ben Laurie wrote:
Colin Plumb wrote:
Doug, I'd just like to thank you for replying. Even without looking at
your
description, the fact that you are willing to talk to doubters and admit the limitations of your technique make me a lot more comfortable believing that you have something. You don't fit into either of the two standard types of snake-oil salesmen: The "I can't tell you because it's secret" sort, and the "it's totally unbreakable, cures world hunger and disposes of nuclear waste" sort.
Clearly I failed to understand this, then:
"This note doesn't tell everything about our method--we *are* developing a commercial product, after all..."
which somehow doesn't translate to "I can't tell you because it's secret", it seems.
Well, _I_ think they can explain everything (and we hope to do an academic paper on the idea), but it's not my decision. Bruce ********************************************************************** Bruce Schneier, President, Counterpane Systems Phone: 612-823-1098 101 E Minnehaha Parkway, Minneapolis, MN 55419 Fax: 612-823-1590 Free crypto newsletter. See: http://www.counterpane.com
At 12:57 PM 9/22/98 +0100, Ben Laurie wrote: I hope you manage to persaude them then, because, as we all know, if it
is kept secret, then even B. Schneier saying it is great will not rescue them from the snake-oil branding.
I'm working on it. I think I will be successful. They know that they have to make their sytem public if people are going to use it. At this point, keeping things under wraps give them a competitive edge. There will be a point where they have to make all the details public. Bruce ********************************************************************** Bruce Schneier, President, Counterpane Systems Phone: 612-823-1098 101 E Minnehaha Parkway, Minneapolis, MN 55419 Fax: 612-823-1590 Free crypto newsletter. See: http://www.counterpane.com
Bruce Schneier wrote:
At 11:55 AM 9/22/98 +0100, Ben Laurie wrote:
Colin Plumb wrote:
Doug, I'd just like to thank you for replying. Even without looking at
your
description, the fact that you are willing to talk to doubters and admit the limitations of your technique make me a lot more comfortable believing that you have something. You don't fit into either of the two standard types of snake-oil salesmen: The "I can't tell you because it's secret" sort, and the "it's totally unbreakable, cures world hunger and disposes of nuclear waste" sort.
Clearly I failed to understand this, then:
"This note doesn't tell everything about our method--we *are* developing a commercial product, after all..."
which somehow doesn't translate to "I can't tell you because it's secret", it seems.
Well, _I_ think they can explain everything (and we hope to do an academic paper on the idea), but it's not my decision.
I hope you manage to persaude them then, because, as we all know, if it is kept secret, then even B. Schneier saying it is great will not rescue them from the snake-oil branding. Cheers, Ben. -- Ben Laurie |Phone: +44 (181) 735 0686| Apache Group member Freelance Consultant |Fax: +44 (181) 735 0689|http://www.apache.org/ and Technical Director|Email: ben@algroup.co.uk | A.L. Digital Ltd, |Apache-SSL author http://www.apache-ssl.org/ London, England. |"Apache: TDG" http://www.ora.com/catalog/apache/ WE'RE RECRUITING! http://www.aldigital.co.uk/
participants (3)
-
Ben Laurie -
Bruce Schneier -
Colin Plumb