From: nobody@rebma.rebma.mn.org
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 93 01:41:51 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Remailing
Message-ID: <m0oaKhR-0001zxC@rebma.rebma.mn.org>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


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> Would it be possible to incorporate a ping into the remailer?  Say
> give it a list of known remailers for the chain and have it pick one
> at random, then ping it. If the remailer responds then send out the
> mail, otherwise pick a new remailer, and repeat....

One possible problem is that the final destination must then be
available to every remailer.

Say I construct an appropriate header consisting of nested
encryptions, and I use it to send a letter from

me -> A -> B -> C -> destination

where A, B, C are the remailers I chose.  Say that there are a total
of 10 remailers in the universe that are known.

Here, A knows me and B, B knows A and C, and C knows B and
destination.

However, if A chooses a random remailer from [A-J], then it must
somehow make available the final destination to all of the remailers,
since there is a chance that the next hop will be destination.  Now
instead of C knowing the final destination, [A-J] do.

Even if I made C the "final" hop (and it will then forward to
destination), then I have to make C known to all the remailers, where
before only B knew C.

Besides, some people may have set up anonymous remailers that aren't
public or haven't been announced.  

<klbarrus@owlnet.rice.edu>

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