Distribution of FAQ to CompuServe, American Online, etc.
I've had two messages this afternoon asking if people could/should post the Cyhernomicon on AOL and CompuServe. I replied in a negative way to each request, but maybe I need to explain further. My "Crypto Anarchist Manifesto" has been spread to many boards. Which is good, I guess. What's not good in this electronic age is dealing with the dozen or so messages I get in most weeks asking questions, challenging the assumptions, requestiing explanations of terms like "MIPS" and "ISDN," etc. ("Like, dewd, anarchy is like cool..heh heh heh" or "I'm writing a paper for my Poli Sci class and I have some questions...") I just don't have the time to do this kind of "outreach." Some of them I tell about the Cypherpunks list--some of you may've joined via this sort of thing--but others I just thank, telling them I can't engage in a letter-writing process with them. Back to CompuServe and AOL. The FAQ I wrote has a lot of Cypherpunks-centric material in it, and is not intended as an "outreach" document (as, say, some short libertarian books by Hazlitt and Karl Hess were intended to be). I don't even plan to announce it on Usenet, so announcing it on CompuServe, AOL, etc., seems like a bad idea. On the other hand, putting it on these services and then announcing it only to Cypherpunks is OK...just another distribution channel. But don't advertise it to non-Cypherpunks, for these reasons. I just can't handle the questions that would arise. I hope you all can understand this. --Tim May -- .......................................................................... Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money, tcmay@netcom.com | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero 408-688-5409 | knowledge, reputations, information markets, W.A.S.T.E.: Aptos, CA | black markets, collapse of governments. Higher Power: 2^859433 | Public Key: PGP and MailSafe available. "National borders are just speed bumps on the information superhighway."
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But don't advertise it to non-Cypherpunks, for these reasons.
I just can't handle the questions that would arise.
I hope you all can understand this.
Hmm .. sounds like a good opportunity to spawn off a pseudonym. The Cyphernomicon can stand on its own two feet with respect to being useful - it's nice to know that Tim May wrote it, but it'd be interesting if some nobody did, also. Perhaps the next edition *should* be (apparently) published by some unknown nobody .. Klaus! von Future Prime, or some other fictional character who doesn't get (or need to reply to) E-mail. Important corrections or other comments can get sent to the list for general digestion and discussion. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.5 iQCVAgUBLnUs2H3YhjZY3fMNAQHaUwP+Kse2MPMfSiPuf/qzR0sE1UeWsIyuO6Cs EAcr/DVTXptmrypGhbvcpHrIrDWb9/uIHI5bmWLRBL8zk/IUZHoTk27+yXDd4DEG dB7PL3QZoj4U16b3V2qYwKojv5Mm+MuKuJUb2trXCN07j/EkZzE1A52dPQPSLn09 1XDN6PgvCqs= =0Flc -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
But don't advertise it to non-Cypherpunks, for these reasons.
I just can't handle the questions that would arise.
I hope you all can understand this.
Hmm .. sounds like a good opportunity to spawn off a pseudonym. The Cyphernomicon can stand on its own two feet with respect to being useful - it's nice to know that Tim May wrote it, but it'd be interesting if some nobody did, also. Perhaps the next edition *should* be (apparently) published by some unknown nobody .. Klaus! von Future Prime, or some other fictional character who doesn't get (or need to reply to) E-mail. Important corrections or other comments can get sent to the list for general digestion and discussion.
How about The Mad Cryptographer Abdul RSAed :-) [As opposed to the Mad Arab Abdul Alzhared]
participants (3)
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greg@ideath.goldenbear.com -
rarachel@prism.poly.edu -
tcmay@netcom.com