From: jrochkin@cs.oberlin.edu (Jonathan Rochkind)
Date: Wed, 30 Nov 94 16:43:32 PST
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: We are ALL guests (except Eric)
Message-ID: <ab02cc0608021004d214@[132.162.201.201]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


>L. Todd Masco writes
>> On at least 3 of those lists, a list maintainer tried to take
>> some arbitrary unilateral action and had to later back down because
>> nobody was willing to put up with such shit.
>
>Same thing happened when Coca Cola tried to change their formula:
>
>Should we therefore conclude that Coke does not own coke?

If my and my friends don't like coke, we can't copy their secret formula
and sell something in a red can with a white curve down the side and
"Coca-cola" written on it in cursive lettering. We'll be in court in about
four minutes.

If me and my friends don't like the cypherpunks list, we can start our own
list called "cypherpunks."  We can even get the list of subscribers from
toad (it's public information), and subscribe them all to our list,
although they might not appreciate it so much.

Or, if we really had a problem with the signature-requirement, we could
start up our own list and actually subscribe our list to cypherpunks, and
cypherpunks to our list.  Everyone on our list would get all cypherpunks
mail, and as well as mail sent to our list specifically. And cypherpunks
would get our list.  So if you didn't want to sign, you could join our
RebelCypherpunks list which would be identical to cypherpunks except you
could contribute to it without signing, and others on our list would get
your posts.  If you did want to sign, joining our list would be identical
to joining cypherpunks, since all mail from our list gets forwarded to
cypherpunks anyhow.

"Ownership" of a mailing list isn't a simple thing. The exact instance of
majordomo running on toad and administered by Eric is not "the cypherpunks
list."