Uu> From: szabo@netcom.com (Nick Szabo)

M. Stirner: Only one question: WHY? If PGP is freeware for noncommercial single users, why on earth would anyone wish to drop $100 +/- for single-user rights to a virtually identical program?

Uu> There are several business proposals floating around the cypherpunks Uu> community that would require commercial licenses. Note that I was not speaking of commercial, but single-user licenses. Uu> I encourage the Uu> various crypto-entrepreneurs elaborate if they wish. Uu> Some of the proposals are quite interesting and illuminating. Uu> There's a strong habit of keeping business ideas "trade secret", Uu> which can be a bad idea, since (a) many of the ideas Uu> are obvious; trade secrets only work for subtle but important Uu> technological bottlenecks known to a small group of mutually Uu> trustworthy people, and (b) many of the ideas need to Uu> debugged by a wide variety of crackers and experts before they will Uu> provid good privacy. Trade secrets also inhibit the progress Uu> of the cypherpunks agenda, but that's a judgement call; I myself Uu> dont' feel morally bound to Reveal All for the sake of the Uu> Movement. But, "I'll post mine if you post yours". I feel rather in the dark. If you are going to say something, please say it. I had my circumlocution buffer filled by noon today by others who beat you to the punch. However, the mere mention of money makes my cute little ears stand right up, assuming it's not in non-negotiable digital gold coins, which niether my landlady nor the Arab bodega where I buy my menudo will accept... . ~ . M. ... "The good & the possible never seemed to coincide."Orwell ___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.12 -- M. Stirner - via FidoNet node 1:125/1 UUCP: ...!uunet!kumr!shelter!28!M..Stirner INTERNET: M..Stirner@f28.n125.z1.FIDONET.ORG