Well, folks, after four or five years here, I'm finally leaving. I've picked this moment for two reasons. First, the signal to noise ratio here is now too low to be measured without expensive lab equipment -- as bad as Usenet, or even worse. Second, I now have two candidate sites to host a new cryptography & cryptography politics mailing list to replace this one. The new list will be run very tightly. Some people will doubtless label me a fascist and say I'm impinging on their ability to be "free". Those that feel that the best use of their freedom is to urinate into their own drinking water are entitled to their beliefs -- but they will not be welcome on the new list.* It is time to get back to cryptography. You all remember cryptography, don't you? Its the "cipher" in CYPHERpunk. Years ago, on cypherpunks, Phil Karn noted, after Stuart Baker of NSA named his nightmare vision of strong crypto embedded in every $20 phone and every fax machine, "Gentlemen, I believe we have our design specification." One cannot imagine that sort of thing being said here now. Four years ago, PGP 2.0 was released, and the first shot was sent across the bow of those that would stop us. It is more than time to fire off another round or two. Cypherpunks file lawsuits! Cypherpunks develop protocols! Cypherpunks write RFCs! Cypherpunks start companies! Cypherpunks WRITE CODE, damn it! Cypherpunks don't wait for the administration to move -- they move first! They move FASTER! Cypherpunks don't wait for someone else to deploy cryptography -- they deploy it themselves! Cypherpunks do not sit on their asses and pull their puds while discussing warmed over theories about personal freedom. Cypherpunks BUILD THE TOOLS TO IMPLEMENT THE THEORY! Cypherpunks don't fantasize, they create! In short, CYPHERPUNKS DO! They don't live for blather. Cypherpunks Mark I used to be a glorious place. Son of Cypherpunks may fail, but we must make the attempt to create it. In short, Cypherpunks is dead, Long live Cypherpunks! I will post pointers to the new list within ten days -- on or before October 20, 1996. Perry * Those that feel that peeing into their own drinking water is a good idea are directed to http://www.envirolink.org/orgs/coe/snuffit2/living_water.jpg and http://www.envirolink.org/orgs/coe/snuffit2/lifewater.html where you will find others who agree with you.