From: szabo@netcom.com (Nick Szabo)
Date: Mon, 1 Nov 93 02:43:49 PST
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Increasing subscriber base (fwd)
Message-ID: <9311011041.AA27784@netcom6.netcom.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



Cypherpunks,

Enclosed below is a call for help.  imp-interest deals with
Internet commercial protocols, with special interest in secure
billing.  The future of cypherpunks' goals, most obviously digital
cash but also much of the rest of our varied agenda, ranging from
privacy to freedom on the net, is deeply tied in with what direction 
the emerging world of Internet commerce chooses to pursue.  Will these 
businesses move us towards a world of freedom and privacy on the net, 
or a world in which our credit card numbers and IDs will be tracked to 
"ensure accountability", and our every purchase and data access on the 
commercial Net tied to our True Names to build lucrative marketing 
databases and fodder for future snoops?  Contrariwise, what
insights can those pursuing the everyday practicum of net.business
contribute to the cypherpunks vision?

It would be a tremendous advance, I daresay more important than
stopping Clipper (important as that task is), to get Internet commerce 
on board with the commercial privacy-enhancing protocols of Chaum et. 
al. -- digital cash, DC-nets, per-organization pseudonyms with transferable
credentials, etc.  And contrariwise, to invigorate those protocols
with doses of practical, real-world business considerations.
Those of us with an interest in promoting free and private Internet 
commerce, and motivation to pursue this, I urge you to get deeply 
involved in the "imp" movement.

Nick Szabo				szabo@netcom.com

Forwarded message:
Date: Sun, 31 Oct 93 22:00:54 PST
From: ptrubey@shl.com (Phil Trubey)
Message-Id: <9311010600.AA25672@technet1.shl.com>
Subject: Increasing subscriber base

No offence meant to anyone subscribed to this mailing list, but this
mailing list does not seem to have enough of a critcal mass of
interested people to ensure a good level of dicussion and the ability
for collaborative work.  I am suggesting that we advertise the
existence of this list to a selected few other mailing lists and
newsgroups to increase awareness and participation.  If there are no
violent objections I can send out a short note to cypherpunks,
com-priv, the Internet List of Lists.
....

Phil Trubey                   | Internet: ptrubey@shl.com
Systemhouse Inc.              | Voice:    310-809-5491
                              | Fax:      310-860-9668