From: Hal <74076.1041@CompuServe.COM>
Date: Mon, 8 Feb 93 22:43:57 PST
To: Cypherpunks <cypherpunks@toad.com>
Subject: Debate about anon posts
Message-ID: <930209063752_74076.1041_DHJ31-1@CompuServe.COM>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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For those interested, there has been an active debate on the Usenet
newsgroup news.admin.policy about whether anonymous posting should be
allowed on technical newsgroups.  Johan Helsingius's anonymous server at
anon.penet.fi is being widely attacked for allowing this function.  Several
questionable messages have been posted to various groups using this server
and some of these are being used as examples of why anonymous posting should
not be allowed.
 
There have been about 50 messages on the topic, with probably 40+ being
generally opposed to anonymous posting on the non-"personal" groups, and
only a few being in favor.
 
I don't really know how much influence that newsgroup has on the Usenet
anarchy but there certainly does seem to be a lot of opposition to anonymity.
Since it is an important part of our Cypherpunk ideals I think we need to
give some thought to how to "sell" the idea of anonymous mail and postings
to the net community.
 
Hal Finney
74076.1041@compuserve.com