From: plmoses@unix.cc.emory.edu (Paul L. Moses)
Date: Sun, 22 Aug 93 20:51:22 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Digicash
Message-ID: <9308230349.AA16925@emoryu1.cc.emory.edu>
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>From hughes@toad.com Sun Aug 22 20:06:38 1993
>To: plmoses@unix.cc.emory.edu (Paul L. Moses)
>Subject: [plmoses@unix.cc.emory.edu (Paul L. Moses): Digicash....I think]
>Date: Sun, 22 Aug 93 17:06:29 -0700
>From: hughes@toad.com
>
>Mail to owner-cypherpunks goes to the bounce box, where it gets looked
>at occasionally.  Mail to cypherpunks@toad.com to send to the whole list.
>
>Eric
>
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>From: plmoses@unix.cc.emory.edu (Paul L. Moses)
>Message-Id: <9308210349.AA19400@emoryu1.cc.emory.edu>
>To: owner-cypherpunks@toad.com
>Subject: Digicash....I think
>
>
>I hesitate to mention this, since I have *NO* idea of any of the mathematics
>behind the digicash articles you all have mention....BUT...
>
>I was out running errands today and used my ATM card for a cash purchase.
>This led me to think, aha, I could simply get this card "charged" every
>so often with another denomination ($20, $50, $200, $2000, whatever) and
>go around spending my money without the Store having to phone in the transaction.  This raises a couple of thought in my mind, namely
>	1)  Reverse the function of current ATM units, ie use them to 
>"charge" (as in, activate, add money to) the BANK CARD, rather than the 
>opposite that we do now...
>	2)  Find some way to ensure that the card itself does not contain
>an identifier, so that the user is not recorded during the transaction.
>	3)  The card then becomes a bearer instrument of sorts.  No big deal;
>IT'S JUST LIKE MONEY.  People have to be careful with money, so they ought
>to be careful with these things too.  You could still probably use PIN #s
>(personal code), since they're pretty generic and can be selected and
>changed by the end user himself....whoops no, on second thought, not unless
>the user can encode the PIN himself.  Hmm.  I dunno.  PIN could be OK as long
>as it was never recorded in the transaction, but there's the danger of the
>transaction program taking a look surreptitiously...
>
>	4) Digicash exists already.  I buy a copy card at the library and
>put money onto it, then use it at will in the copy machines.  If I lose the
>card, I'm outta luck, cos anyone who finds it can use it.  Primitive, single
>function, but basically what this is about, I think?
>
>So, what I'm trying to say is that it is possible now to do this, without
>any huge breakthrough or legal innovations.  If I have missed something obvious,
>please enlighten me (gently!).
>
>- -Paul
>
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