From: elee9sf@Menudo.UH.EDU
Date: Thu, 22 Apr 93 11:26:30 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: "Cypherpunks Write Code"
Message-ID: <199304221826.AA25404@Menudo.UH.EDU>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



Derek writes:
> 
> Since I'd like to be part of the cypherdelic revolution,
> what code needs writing?  I agree that the PC/modem

Heh, lots of stuff could be done:

1) Hack around with the anonymous remailers.  Eric mentioned he is
working on a "second generation" remailer which allows users to
specify cut marks, etc.  I've been fooling with one that caches all
incoming messages in a directory, and then at midnight (by using the
at command) mails/routes each messages on its way.  Still got problems
with it, though...

2) DC Nets.  Yanek Martinson is working on a DC Net implementation
using email.  A TCP/IP version would be nice!

3) CELP.  Don't know much about this other that porting it and hand
coding parts in assembly for speed would be welcome.  Then, we could
have our own encrypted conversations.

4) Digital Bank.  A full-blown implementation (RSA encryption and
decryption, blinded messages, etc).  I have written a scaled down
digital bank which provides privacy and security by using random cash
and random account numbers, and does not correlate account numbers
with usernames.  It's written in the Korn shell, and I plan many
improvements once the semester is over (rewrite in PERL for one...)
But my bank does not implement Chaum's digicash scheme, and that would
be best.

5) Once that is done, we can experiment with a "cash accepting"
remailer - one that will only remail if valid digicash is included in
the header, or whatever.  Then, such a system may be expanded to do
anonymous or pseudonymous usenet posting, which may be an acceptible
(to folks who are vehemently against anonymous posting, etc.) solution
to helping prevent abuse by such services.

6) Steganography, hiding code in other documents.  For example, hiding
each bit of a message (encrypted or not) in the low order bits of an
image, gif, tiff, whatever.  I've played around with the tiff format
and will try to use Sam Lieffler's (sp?) tiff package to help out.
Writing a program that will automatically embed a message in a picture
and read a message out will be useful.  ("hey everyone, be sure to get
the denning.gif from alt.binaries.pictures.misc and read my comments
about the clipper chip!")

7) Misc stuff.  Check out the scripts which help in the use of the
anonymous remailers - they are for UNIX and DOS.  Amiga, Mac, etc.
versions needed.

8) Take your favorite unix utility (mail for example) or whatever and
add encryption automatically.  Sure, using it on a multi-user systems
may not be the best thing to do, but the code, techniques, and
solutions would be of value and would aid others.

9) probably lots of other stuff that would be nice...

/-----------------------------------\
| Karl L. Barrus                    |
| elee9sf@menudo.uh.edu             | <- preferred address
| barrus@tree.egr.uh.edu (NeXTMail) |
\-----------------------------------/