Anarchy Eroded: Project Efnext

Jim Choate ravage at ssz.com
Mon Jan 1 06:49:41 PST 2001



On Mon, 1 Jan 2001, Van Donald wrote:

> A chat program needs a server, or interacting network of servers to 
> advertise presence.

No, they don't. They do need a persistent network presence however.
Distinctly different things.

> This server could also act as a public key server, 

Which is pointless. The only(!) group that is excluded from IRC at this
point is anyone who doesn't have the brains to request a session key
through the server.

> invisibly to user, guaranteeing stability of identity -- that this presence 
> was the same entity as had been logged on under the same name in previous 
> sessions.

Using pk's doesn't do this since I can loan my key as easy as I might own
a password. Besides how do you know somebody isn't diddling with the
central server?

Any centralized system is bound to be defeated through a 'least effort'
attack on the servers. As a result of the server going down the entire
system has now been breached and the trust in the operators is nil.

    ____________________________________________________________________

           Before a larger group can see the virtue of an idea, a
           smaller group must first understand it.

                                           "Stranger Suns"
                                           George Zebrowski

       The Armadillo Group       ,::////;::-.          James Choate
       Austin, Tx               /:'///// ``::>/|/      ravage at ssz.com
       www.ssz.com            .',  ||||    `/( e\      512-451-7087
                           -====~~mm-'`-```-mm --'-
    --------------------------------------------------------------------






More information about the cypherpunks-legacy mailing list