From: Dave Horsfall <dave@esi.COM.AU>
Date: Thu, 22 Dec 94 20:39:01 PST
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Breaking into girlfriend's files
In-Reply-To: <JeZ-kOwscYeD075yn@io.org>
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.91.941223153106.2289B-100000@eram.esi.com.au>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


On Thu, 22 Dec 1994, Mark Terka wrote:

> GROAN! What the hell is this list about anyway?????? I think we are losing
> perspective about encryption, privacy etc etc...
                                ^^^^^^^
You said it.

> Putting it quite simply, the individual was asking about how to make an attack
> on an opponent. Whether that opponent is a girlfriend, spouse, competitor or
> terrorist group, who cares? Lets save the sermonizing for Ann Landers...what
> state the relationship is irrelevant.

And *HE* gave the reason - he wanted go rifling through his girlfriend's
private files.  And here I was, thinking that this list was about "better
privacy through cryptography" - I must have subscribed to alt.2600 by
mistake...  Come to think of it, that's a better place for the original
query...

> The gentleman asked a question regarding a standard cryptographic problem...
> how you can intercept and interpret encrypted information, either in theory
> in practice. To make judgement calls is WAY out of line and a hell of a bad
> precedent for this group.

Read it again - he specifically wanted to sneak into his partner's files;
that is a clear invasion of privacy.  Jeeze - I thought a Yank would have
understood this...

> I bet the poster would have gotten a more sympathetic response if he said he
> had gotton his hands on a diplomatic cable....

And would you have been just as sympathetic if somebody wanted to rifle
YOUR files?

> Oh boy! Pretty soon we will have this list as "cypherpunks giving advice to
> the lovelorn..."!!! Lets cut the crap, stick to the problem at hand and
> offer solutions to what the participants of the list know best, namely the
> the use and analysis of cryptographic problems.

That has nothing to do with it - person A wanted advice on how to invade
person B's privacy (he presumably doesn't have the guts to just ask her).
Sorry, but privacy works both ways - she's entitled to it just as much
as anybody else.

-- 
Dave Horsfall (VK2KFU) | dave@esi.com.au | VK2KFU @ VK2AAB.NSW.AUS.OC | PGP 2.6
Opinions expressed are mine. | E7 FE 97 88 E5 02 3C AE  9C 8C 54 5B 9A D4 A0 CD