From: tcmay@netcom.com (Timothy C. May)
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 92 16:36:15 PST
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: The Need for Positive Repuations
In-Reply-To: <9212172333.AA12866@toad.com>
Message-ID: <9212180034.AA23003@netcom.netcom.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



Tai (UFLTAI@MEMSTVX1.bitnet) asks about how best to stop people from
generating many, many digital pseuodonyms, thus evading filtering by
"Kill" files. Lots of issues here.

The longterm solution is to use "positive reputations" and not just
"negative reputations" (as in Kill files). This is something Dean
Tribble just talked about at our last physical meeting of the
Cypherpunks ("Bay Area Branch" :-} ).

Think of like a credit rating. People _earn_ trust, they don't just
get assigned a credit rating until they do something bad. 

Positive reputation filtering will still allow digital pseudonyms, but
a reputation will be attached and will be important. Read Vinge's
"True Names" for some insights on this.

--Tim


-- 
..........................................................................
Timothy C. May         | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,  
tcmay@netcom.com       | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
408-688-5409           | knowledge, reputations, information markets, 
W.A.S.T.E.: Aptos, CA  | black markets, collapse of governments.
Higher Power: 2^756839 | PGP Public Key: by arrangement.