Netscape gives in to key escrow

Brian Davis bdavis at thepoint.net
Sun Dec 3 17:34:36 PST 1995


On Fri, 1 Dec 1995, Sten Drescher wrote:

> Matt Miszewski <crypto at midex.com> said:
> 
> MM> On Thu, 30 Nov 1995, sameer wrote:
> 
> s> Jeff: If Netscape comes out in favor of GAK, will you leave?  (Wait
> s> until February, at least, of course..) You don't have to answer that
> s> to me, or the list, just think about it, and answer it for yourself.
> s> Do you think "anyone else" there would leave, as you say below that
> s> they don't want to go down history, etc...
> 
> MM> While this would go over well in the press if handled right please
> MM> let everyone remember that Jeff is a real person with bills to pay
> MM> and food to put on at least his own table.
> 
> 	I believe that was the point: How many people at Netscape would
> put principled opposition to GAK ahead of expediency?  My guess?  Not
> enough.

I feel slighted.  No one accused me of lacking principles because I 
haven't quit my job with the Justice Department based on its, and the 
Administration's, position.

Then again, maybe you just realize that the market for lawyers, and the 
market for people who can actually do something worthwhile, is very 
different.

Nevertheless, I won't think less of Jeff if he doesn't quit.  He appears 
to be fighting what most here believe is the good fight.  Refusing to 
take his ball and go home does not mean, to me, that he lacks 
principles.  Perhaps it means that he thinks he can do more from within.

Gee, and Tim May didn't get a new ISP when his current PC-ISP canceled 
his Usenet access because of his protected speech and then gave it back 
only if he included a disclaimer on his messages.  Fire away, Cypherpunks!!!

EBD






More information about the cypherpunks-legacy mailing list