Hi all I can just see the FBI screaming "we need weaker encryption to combat terrosism on US soil" with nasty effects -- it seems all to many people, lawmakers included, will be only to happy to sacrifice their privacy that the FBI can better combat these terrorist acts (which could *of course* could been prevented had only the FBI been able to read their encrypted mail...) Somehow I got the feeling watching CNN that the FBI was given a shitload of ammo. Call me cynical but the Reichstag fire comes to mind... Later Mike ___________________ "Those that give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Benjamin Franklin (1773)

Shaun Clark <jacquard@teleport.com> writes:

Ok, ok... Let me say something, but I don't want anyone to take this wrong. I'm not trying to be stupid, but I don't have half the knowledge you all seem to posses.

That's ok. Welcome to the list.

For instance what the heck is a TRS-80, DES, or even GAK? I probabl;y know or have heard but, I'm not picking up on the three letter words. So, if you could help meout maybe I just might be able to start contributing activly to this mailer!

TRS stands for "Technical Report Series." These are put out periodically by the computer science departments of major universities. TRS-80 is a monograph titled - "The Sternlight Effect: The Application of Nonlinear Matched Filters to the Reduction of Additive Gaussian Noise in Usenet Articles." DES stands for "Diethylstilbestrol", a synthetic estrogen given to women at high risk for miscarriage in the 1950's. Its use was discontinued when the daughters of those who took it were discovered to have a high incidence of vaginal and cervical adenocarcinomas. Male offspring suffered no life-threatening health problems from prenatal DES exposure, but were often afflicted with TWS. (Teeny Weeny Syndrome) And finally, GAK is the name for the green slime frequently seen to cover people on Nickelodeon, the childrens' cable channel. It is prepared from a variety of non-toxic ingredients in the Nickelodeon kitchens, and supposedly is safe to ingest, should one feel motivated to do so. Now that you know the secret Three Letter Abbreviations, you are an official Cypherpunk. Congratulations. -- Mike Duvos $ PGP 2.6 Public Key available $ mpd@netcom.com $ via Finger. $