Cypherpunks--Mission Statement Needed
CP is for Crypto Privacy, because we feel that privacy and cryptography are now more inextricably linked than ever. We shall likely have to use crypto to hide our crypto. CP is for Changing Policy, both CP policy and existing government policy. CP is for Conscious Paranoia. We know and understand the issues involved, both the political and the scientific. We _are_ paranoid, but we know _why_ we're paranoid, and justify it as a _rational_ response. [The use of 'paranoia' is loose, of course, since the strict meaning and popular meaning differ widely.] CP is for Cypher Punks. Cypher because not only do we use cyphers, but in a certain sense we _are_ cyphers. Punks? A contemptuous term created by those contemptuous of those who fail to pay allegiance to the Almighty Government. Should it be a badge of pride, or a shameful term used for a shameful purpose? I believe that if we are to be effective, we ought to decide on a number of tenets which just aren't in the FAQ now. Tim May's .signature seems as good a place to start as any. Methods of implentation, boat-rocking and some form of plan will likely be necessary. Send mail to me or to the list, preferably to my mail address at nyx.cs.du.edu; and I will summarize and post, stripping headers if requested and eliminating redundant entries. The FAQ needs to be revised, I believe, to reflect the current crisis, and I am more than willing to help re-write it if anyone finds it agreeable. Thank you. [Aside: I appear to be getting two copies of many letters-- if anyone makes a snide comment about multiple postings of articles, I'll, I'll, I'll, uh, grin and look sheepish-- and I wonder if others have this problem; it's not a double sub, per se, as some letters _aren't_ doubled. Ah, well, it's probably nothing, just the side effects of the surveillance software.] ---- Robert W. Clark rclark@nyx.cs.du.edu PGP signature available by mail or finger
participants (1)
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Clark Reynard