From: tbyfield@panix.com (t byfield)
Date: Mon, 18 Sep 95 09:28:13 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Joe Sixpack and his TV
Message-ID: <v02120d00ac830d476a45@DialupEudora>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


At 9:20 PM 9/17/95, Black Unicorn wrote:

>As I understand it shows like "The X-Files" don't accept unsolicited
>scripts.  Not surprising as I'm sure they have writer's agreements.

And, given how popular the show is, I doubt their *writers* even accept
unsolicited *phone calls*. In principle, the idea of working on positive
media exposure is a good one; in practice, it'll likely be mostly
dangerous, since there's no way to guarantee a pro-crypto slant when
anticrypto slants will widely be seen as making for better "drama."
        Any number of soap writers would bite a crypto hook if someone took
the time to contact them--except on shows like that secrets are *bad*
(e.g., So-and-so is suspected of Murdering Whoever for Financial Reasons,
but refuses to give up the Password to his Encrypted Files, so Some Chick
Seduces him and slips an Invisible Keystroke Capture Program, written by
her Little Hacker Brother, onto his computer to Reveal the Ugly Truth). The
news programs won't be much better, since reporters, being a suspicious
lot, tend to dislike secrets too.
        Maybe try the Simpsons, hey? I see it all now: Bart encrypts Homer
and forgets the password. As far as the family's concerned, the blob of
random friction that sits around watching TV and drinking beer is fine, but
Homer's boss starts to worry that Home's looking a bit unkempt...


ted