On the outright laughability of internet "democracy"

[R. A. Hettinga]

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At 4:20 PM +0200 on 8/12/02, Nomen Nescio wrote, in excruciating,
hilarious and even elegant detail:

<...all about how I was trolled. :-).>

> Good fish. Thank you for playing.

LOL...

You're welcome. Guilty as charged. I admit to being absolutely
trollable about some things. It's even fun on occasion. As always,
you know where the 'd' key is. Or, apparently, I can also tell you
where to find it in several languages. I love the net...


Meaning that, as it always has been, since people began repeating
themselves about six months out from its founding, this list is just
a watering hole, and not a salon. That, and you never really know how
exactly you're going to get your kicks next. :-).


However, if I may be permitted to flop back into the bilge a little
while to add *some* content to the discussion again, my point --
well, two, actually -- still holds.

1.) You cannot have truly anonymous voting on the net without also
being perfectly free to sell your vote. In short, the only voting
that matters on the net is *financial* voting -- voting your control,
total or fractional, of an asset of some kind. Don't take my word for
it. Look it up. Read the protocols. Figure it out for yourself. It's
impossible. And, in so doing you will discover something that I've
also said said too much before, also to the consternation of folks
like you:

2.) Financial cryptography is the *only* cryptography that matters.

[If you respond to a patently content-free fulmination by an
obviously trollee with another troll of your own, what, exactly, does
that make you, troller -- or trollee? :-)]


Cheers,
RAH

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-- 
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R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah at ibuc.com>
The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/>
44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA
"... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity,
[predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to
experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'