From: dlv@bwalk.dm.com (Dr.Dimitri Vulis KOTM)
Date: Sun, 15 Sep 1996 00:11:51 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Internet Drivers' Licenses
In-Reply-To: <Pine.BSF.3.91.960913223151.7410A-100000@mcfeely.bsfs.org>
Message-ID: <a6Z9TD36w165w@bwalk.dm.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


Rabid Wombat <wombat@mcfeely.bsfs.org> writes:
> Well, it would seem some are helping to make my point; M.Duvos is calling
> for government intervention, in the form of an "Internet Driver's License."

It does not have to be the gubment. It could be a web of trust - like
protocol. E.g. M.Duvos gives a pile of non-reusable, revokable cookies
to people from whom he wants to receive e-mail. Every time one of them
sends him an e-mail, he uses up one of his cookies. If he doesn't give
me any cookies, and I want to e-mail him, I have to negotiate with
someone who has a cookie and get one.

Not sure how this would work with mailing lists...

> There goes anonimity, which has, in general, been a "good thing" on the
> 'net. Here comes "big brother", to protect us from the evil anonymous
> spammer. Here comes more government infrastructure to enforce the LAWS
> that "we", as a society, have subjected ourselves to, so that "the few,
> the rude, the clueless" can no longer send out their anonymously sourced
> spam. Less freedom, more taxes. Why? Because someone out there is doing
> something because they "have the right", by the sole virtue of there
> currently being no law specifically against their particular behavior.

Folks who "fight spam" by forging cancels for any Usenet articles they
don't like are no better than an opressive government. The infrastructure
they've created for efficiently suppressing any information they don't
want to be on Usenet can now be used by any government that wants to
remove objectionable material from Usenet.

> Still on the side of the spammer, Mr. May?
The old fart is a spammer.

---

Dr.Dimitri Vulis KOTM
Brighton Beach Boardwalk BBS, Forest Hills, N.Y.: +1-718-261-2013, 14.4Kbps