From: Nathan Zook <nzook@bga.com>
Date: Mon, 6 Feb 95 03:31:24 PST
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Cooperation
Message-ID: <Pine.3.89.9502060545.E19655-0100000@ivy.bga.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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Hal:
   I agree that it is to our advantage to minimize the cooperation between
remailers, for the following reasons:
 
1)  The existance of a cabal dominating such a function admits the
posibility of the abuse of power, for whatever reason.
 
2)  The requirement of cooperation between remailers limits the size of the
remailer net to the number of operators that can effectively cooperate with
each other.  (Yes, we can extend via overlapping groups, but this
introduces chokepoints--another weakness.)
 
3)  The requirement of cooperation between remailers raises the cost (in
time and legal vulnerabilities) to enter the remailer net.
 
4)  Failing all of these, there is a real chance (happening even now) that
users will trust the operators too much.
 
 
But there is a major difference between active cooperation and agreeing to
a standard.  Active cooperation is just that--something which cannot be
automated, or which involves automated judgement decisions.  I claim that
my ideas are merely standards.  A standard which might even be extendable
into the dominions of a hostile government.
 
Nathan