From: wcs@anchor.ho.att.com (bill.stewart@pleasantonca.ncr.com +1-510-484-6204)
Date: Tue, 15 Feb 94 21:01:59 PST
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re:  REAL WORLD ENCRYPTION
Message-ID: <9402160457.AA10034@anchor.ho.att.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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Would I use crypto in the real world?  Sure, for some things.
I'd like to have a bank where I could do transactions by email,
and I certainly don't feel confident doing that across the Internet.
I'd like to be able to subscribe to Wired by email or buy other stuff
by emailing them my credit card number, but I sure don't want to do
that without encrypting it, especially with this sniffer-attack supposedly
going on.  I'd especially like to be able to do it with one-shot credit card
numbers, which would be tied to my real account in some accountable way
(either through crypto-signatures I generate myself or through online
transactions with the bank), so even if the person on the far end
tries to rip me off by reusing my card, they only get one shot.
Without crypto, that's not a practical system; with crypto it might be.

Would I use digicash banking to hide all my income from the IRS?
Probably not - I'm an employee, rather than a consultant,
though that's never a constant in the computer industry;
big companies tend to collect withholding and the IRS likes to squash
non-volunteers, and sometimes even fines companies for underwithholding.
Too much hassle, at least for now.  But I'd certainly like to use it.
And I'd love to be able to use digicash to pay for things like
Grateful Dead tickets, though I can't say I *know* that drug cops
follow you around for buying them :-)

Would I use cryptophones?  For doing politics or money, sure.
It doesn't keep the cops from photographing you at political meetings
or anti-war demonstrations, but it does make it harder for them too
cause trouble and track down organizations like CISPES.

		Bill