From: Hal <74076.1041@CompuServe.COM>
Date: Sat, 1 May 93 22:27:08 PDT
To: CYPHERPUNKS <CYPHERPUNKS@toad.com>
Subject: Apology and clarification
Message-ID: <930502052048_74076.1041_FHD38-1@CompuServe.COM>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


I want to clear up any misconceptions raised by my message about possible
changes in Cypherpunks policies and practices.

The various possibilities that I raised, such as forbidding discussion
of patent-infringing projects at Cypherpunks meetings, or endorsing future
PKP crackdowns on infringers, were completely my own conceptions.  They
were not meant to represent actual suggestions raised by Tim, Eric, or
anyone else.  Rather, they were my own extrapolations and extensions of
what I viewed as positions being advocated on the list.

But I see now that I went too far in drawing these extensions, especially
given that the actual statements being made here bore little resemblance to
the suggestions I made.  The "straw man" positions which resulted were so
extreme as to discredit anyone who would favor them.  I hope no one will
assume from my message that any list member advocates those views.

I may have responded with excessive emotion to recent proposals here,
coming as they do on the heels of the threat raised by Clipper.  I do
feel a sense of commitment to the PGP effort despite my current relatively
inactive state there.  My reaction was perhaps overly defensive.  I'll try
to keep a clearer head in the future and react only to actual threats rather
than imagined ones.

Hal