From: dinkelacker@cypherpunks.org (Sam Will - aka rjc - aka Tim - Hal)
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 93 03:03:24 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: TRAITORS to the CAUSE
Message-ID: <9310251002.AA19146@churchy.gnu.ai.mit.edu>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


  The latest LD rant talks about the great cypherpunk cause, to which he has
lent his time, and how it has been "contaminated", "tainted", and "poisoned"
by EVIL TREACHEROUS individuals on this group. These individuals have
misrepresented "basic cypherpunk goals"  Finally, he demands
reparation for his "mental anguish" from Tim May to be posted to
talk.politics.crypto.  I have a sudden urge to say "Get a Life" for some
reason.

  I think Detweiler was operating under some kind of delusion when he
joined this list which is responsible for his anguish.  From my
analysis, it seems LD was under the impression that he was joining
some great social activist movement similar to all the other fringe
groups out there, and that the cypherpunks had some noble cause
of liberation/crypto-ethics.

  However, when I first subscribed to the list (roughly a few weeks after
it was set up), I was told the purpose of this group was to simply discuss
crypto, implications of it, and coordination of crypto-projects like
remailers, digicash systems, pgp, etc.

  Could it be that Lance is looking for ethics on a mailing list whose
motto is "cypherpunks write code" (with no limitations on what kind of
code that will be, including even pseudospoofing software)

[  All of LD's points are technically incorrect anyway because crypto
can be used for both authenication and privacy. (e.g. digital signatures
being "accoutable" legally to the authority which certified/signed them.
Contrary to his rants, digi-sig nyms can be as tracable as real signatures,
even more so depending on how strict you are on your trust model)]

  We've been accused of being conspirators, evil traitors, exploiters, abusers,
and who knows what else, and I'm getting annoyed by it. So I'm making
a proposal. Let's implement Detweiler's philosophy of having everyone
accountable. Using the Extropian's list software, this list could prevent
anyone who isn't voice validated from posting to the list. And as a first
step to improving S/N ratio, I recommend we use the list software's filtering
features to outright censor Detweiler, and any other idiot ranters (plus
all anonymous posters) from the list. I also recommend a list justice
code similar to the Extropian's list where anyone can be PUNISHED for
not obeying the Great and Holy Cypherpunk's cause. As a requirement of
the NEW ORDER (under the new software), all new subscribers will be
required to take a pledge of denouncing pseudospoofing in talk.politics.crypto
before their posting priveleges are turned on.

Sam Will

The Cypherpunks Pledge:
"I hereby proclaim that pseudospoofers are the most vile and disgusting
criminals on the face of the earth. As a cypherpunk, I pledge to fight for
a world where children go to sleep at night secure in the knowledge
that anyone they meet will be who they claim they are."