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[Jim Choate]

On Thu, 29 Mar 2001, brainteaser wrote:

> So am I right in saying there isn't, and never really was, a way of
> making truly anonymous transactions?

I don't know if I'd go that far. I can say that I've spent many years
looking for it as an intellecutal exercise and I've yet to find a system
that couldn't be cracked with good forensics and a search warrant.

Another aspect is whether you want the entire transaction anonymous or
just some aspect of it.

For example, you could arrange to meet a bum at one time and place. Have
the bum execute your plan (ie go into store and then head down street) and
then meet you at another time and place. Have the two meeting in a
residential neighborhood where you've scoured the neighborhood for obvious
external cameras. The point here is to increase the cost of the cops
finding the video. If they see a video camera on a house and they say saw
the bum turn down that street from the store camera they could subpeona
that camera. So you'd want to create a situation where the cost to find
the camera was prohibitive. This of course has its own problems like the
bum running off w/ your money. There'd still be the geographic similarity
you, the bum, the store, and the MO share. You'd probably never want to
use that site or bum again. And so on.

My personal belief is there is no security. That the best you can hope for
is an escalating growth in complexity and cost. Others differ on this point.

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