At 01:18 PM 6/15/96 -0000, nelson@crynwr.com wrote:

But the "crypto-" prefix has an additional meaning that may make its use somewhat problematic. A "crypto-" something can be a "fake-" or "hidden-" something. So if it actually became popular to be a geek, you'd have cool people becoming crypto-geeks.

Incorrect: Crypto-something means a hidden something, not fake something: Most popular usage is "cryptofascist" since fascism is so terribly politically incorrect these days, and many fascists are politically correct, so they do not call themselves fascist. Another common usage is crypto-totalitarian. A crypto-anarchist could mean either someone who seeks to destroy the state by higher mathematics, or someone who conceals his real aim of destroying the state. Because cryptography is in many ways subtle attack on the state, with consequences far more radical than is at first apparent, those who seek to destroy the state by this means often are not obvious anarchists -- crypto-anarchists are often crypto-anarchists. The intended meaning is usually obvious from context: I have never seen the word crypto-anarchist used in the sense of a secret anarchist. --------------------------------------------------------------------- | We have the right to defend ourselves | http://www.jim.com/jamesd/ and our property, because of the kind | of animals that we are. True law | James A. Donald derives from this right, not from the | arbitrary power of the state. | jamesd@echeque.com