CDR: Re: psst! wanna buy some anonymity, meester?

[Ray Dillinger]

On Fri, 3 Nov 2000, R. A. Hettinga wrote:
>--- begin forwarded text

>In which a skeptical eye is cast on various
>privacy enhanced web shopping tools. Here's
>one gem from the article:
>
>"Anonymity works in the favor of fraudsters,"
>  -- VP at Visa.

Consider the business he's in.  If you're lending money (which is 
what credit cards are about) then yes, anonymity works in favor of 
fraudsters, because you can't prove who it is that owes you money.  
If he was mainly in the *debit* card business, he wouldn't have to 
give a damn.  But speaking from his universe of experience, he's 
right.

Another score against privacy in the modern world is the reliance 
of the sheeple on debt instruments.  With debt instruments, of 
*COURSE* they have no privacy (and no money, either, but that's 
a separate rant). 

				Bear