CDR: Re: Anonymous Remailers

[Nomen Nescio]

On Mon, 2 Oct 2000, Steve Furlong wrote:

> Does anyone have any suggestions for setting up an anonymous remailer? 

You can get the source for the current version of Mixmaster (2.9b23) via
anonymous FTP from mixmaster.anonymizer.com.

Send mail to remailer-operators-request at anon.lcs.mit.edu for info on the
remop mailing list.  There's also a Mixmaster-specific list:
mix-l-subscribe at jpunix.com.

If you run into trouble during install, mail either of the lists with your
questions.

> I'd like a HOWTO, suggesting software to use and how to set it up. 

There isn't one, yet.  It's being worked on.  Slowly.

> I'm pretty clueless as to what would be needed, but I have a FreeBSD box
> and a DSL line with no usage restrictions. If need be I can set up 
> another box, dedicated to this purpose. I should have the means once I
> get whapped with a cluestick.

You're set with what you have.  In theory, maintaining a separate remailer
box may insulate the rest of your hardware should LEOs come a'knocking
some day, but I wouldn't count on it.  (I also wouldn't worry about this
scenario too much.)

> I'd also like discussions of real-world problems that people have found.
> What kind of things cause you to think about shutting down your
> remailer? Technical abuse, legal difficulties, or what?

Make damned sure you're on good terms with your ISP and whoever handles
your DNS.  Your remailer may get shut down when you're not looking.

That said, I've never given serious consideration to shutting down my
remailer.  It's certainly been a headache on numerous occasions, but so
are many things.  Like children.

"Technical abuse" has been only a minor annoyance for me.  

I've received several letters from PIs ranging from demands to reveal a
user's identity, to simple inquiries on how remailers work.  I also have a
small collection of letters from standard lawyers, and from Scientologist
ones as well.  I frequently receive notes informing me that Such-and-Such
Police Department has been informed of my "crimes," but I tend to ignore
those.

Get used to receiving a lot of hate mail.  In all the time I've been running
a remailer, I've gotten one thank you note, and countless threats.  Of
course, said threats are frequently so poorly written, you may find they
make an attractive addition to your refrigerator door.

The real trick for me has been figuring out when to reply to an
inquiry/complaint, and when to forward it to /dev/null.*  It's quite
possible that you'll receive tens of complaints of "abuse" every day.
They'll range anywhere from illiterate demands to cancel "Ann Onymous's
subscrivtion" for making an off-topic post in rec.pets.cats, to
notification that "Interpol, the FBI, and my brother, the cop," are all
coming to get you...for something.  I'm particularly fond of the "crimes"
of which I'm frequently accused by these complainers.  My personal
favourite involved an astute AOLer who informed me that "accessory to
acomplise harassment" is not looked upon favourably in Washington State.  
I laughed for days.

Separating the kooks and the nitwits from the legitimate (i.e. legal)
threats is just something you'll have to learn.  It should be fairly easy
for you -- you read cypherpunks.

* At least two Cypherpunk regulars have suggested piping all abuse@ mail
off to /dev/null.  While this is nice in theory, it could be disastrous
for a DSL subscriber with a toothy ToS agreement.