opinions on book "The Truth Machine"

[Timothy C. May]

It sounds like a "make.money.fast.by.promoting.this.book" scam to me.

At 3:32 AM 5/31/96, A.Back at exeter.ac.uk wrote:
>Anyone read this book?  Available on line:
>
>        http://www.truthmachine.com/
>
>The book is a possible future world scenario exploring the social
>implications of another new potential technology, a 100% reliable
>truth test.  What would society do with such a device?
>
>The book explores the direction in which it is no longer possible to
>speak untruthfully without detection.  A different approach to AP to
>ensuring honesty in politicians.
....

Adam,

I find it hard to believe you're caught up in this "Amway novel" nonsense.
(I saw the ads for it in many newsgroups a few weeks ago.)

A "machine which makes lying impossible"? Give me a break. (Sounds like a
great scheme for factoring large numbers...you just pick a pair of factors
at random and the "truth machine" says whether you're lying or not....Other
problems with this "truth machine" are left as an exercise.)

In any case, I decided to waste a few minutes skimming the opening parts of
this "online media event novel" and discovered at the URL you cited:

"Complete this brief survey and receive the first two and a half chapters
of the book free! Upon submission, you will be given access to these
chapters of The Truth Machine......"

Utter bullshit. If the book was any good it would have a real publisher,
not an opinion survey.


--Tim May

Boycott "Big Brother Inside" software!
We got computers, we're tapping phone lines, we know that that ain't allowed.
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Timothy C. May              | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,
tcmay at got.net  408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA  | knowledge, reputations, information markets,
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