CDR: Re: Non-Repudiation in the Digital Environment (was Re: First Monday August 2000)

[Mac Norton]

On Mon, 16 Oct 2000, Ed Gerck wrote:
> 
> OTOH, some lawyers and lawmakers are oftentimes the first ones to use the term
> "identifty theft" -- which simply is not a theft, it is impersonation.  I hope we
> in crypto don't have to use "identity theft" as well. And, they can continue to use it.

Speaking as a lawyer, one of "they,", they should not continue to use
it.  Identity theft might be accomplishable in some scenario, one in which
I somehow induced amnesia in you, for example, but otherwise the use of
the term to cover what you rightly point is simply impersonation, does a
disservice to my profession as well as yours.

As to "prevent," it seems to me that Random House has the better of
Merriam-Webster here.  Apparently what M-W really means in their 
first sense of the word is a combination, something like "anticipate
and take measures to forestall or render impossible." Now, the 
anticipation may be brief, and the measures spontaneous, but that's
what I gather they really wanted to say at M-W. If so, they're loading
more on to "prevent" than it always has to carry.
MacN