cypherpunks in my doctoral research
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I've been writing a doctoral dissertation in which cypherpunks play a prominent role. The research focuses on the negotiations by which standards of identification are incorporated into new consumer payment systems. In particular, I am looking at how issues of privacy, anonymity, and identification are woven into public discussions of these systems. I have identified three systems (Ecash, Mondex, and Citibank's EMS), and I've analyzed talk about these systems in three sites - press articles, the U.S. House of Representatives, and the cypherpunks mailing list. If you're interested, I'd appreciate any comments on this work. I've posted a draft of the cypherpunks section on my web site: <http://www.asc.upenn.edu/USR/sphill/punks.htm>. I'm especially interested in knowing if you believe that my analysis is accurate and complete, and if you believe its publication might effect cypherpunks themselves, or the social and political projects which cypherpunks share. I would like to add one caveat. I had to limit my analysis to a particular time period. Neither the discussion, nor the list, nor the entity of cypherpunks is the same now as then. Please bear this in mind as you read. And please forward this note to anyone who may be interested, but is no longer part of the cypherpunks list. Thanks. David J. Phillips Annenberg School for Communication University of Pennsylvania
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David J. Phillips