The Privacy/Untraceability Sweet Spot

[mean-green at hushmail.com]

At 09:56 PM 8/25/2001 -0700, Tim May <tcmay at got.net> wrote:

.... some really great stuff deleted

>CONCLUSION:
>
>To really do something about untraceability you need to be untraceable.
>
>Draw this graph I outlined. Think about where the markets are for tools 
for privacy and untraceability. Realize that many of the "far out' sweet 
spot applications are not necessarily immoral: think of freedom fighters 
in communist-controlled regimes, think of distribution of birth control 
information in Islamic countries, think of Jews hiding their assets in 
Swiss bank accounts, think of revolutionaries overthrowing bad 
governments, think of people avoiding unfair or confiscatory taxes, 
think of people selling their expertise when some guild says they are 
forbidden to.
>
>Most of all, think about why so many efforts to sort of deploy digital 
cash or untraceability tools have essentially failed due to a failure of 
nerve, a failure to go for the brass ring.

Right on target.  There is one aspect to this loss of nerve not mentioned: the correlation between those with the means and interest to pursue these avenues and those with merely the interest.

One of this list's members shopped here and elsewhere a few years back for participation in building a DBC-based payment and value system.  He had assembled a team with the banking experience, needing the technology implementors.  None were willing to put their talents to the test.  They all nodded regarding the need for such a facility but none would expend any efforts.  

They were all being courted by the failed dot.bombs which waved generous salary and stock offers.  Now that the tulip market has evaporated along with the dreams of quick riches I wonder if any these pseudo-zealots were ever really interested or was it a merely a childish fancy from the start?  As Tim demonstrates the opportunity is still there it waits only for those with the right stuff to grab for the ring.
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