From: ahupp@primenet.com (Adam Hupp)
Date: Sat, 18 Nov 1995 11:43:12 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: NSA, ITAR, NCSA and plug-in hooks.
Message-ID: <199511180319.UAA07399@usr5.primenet.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


>From: Scott Brickner <sjb@universe.digex.net>
>Date: Thu, 16 Nov 1995 15:13:27 -0600
>Subject: Re: NSA, ITAR, NCSA and plug-in hooks. 

>The problem is that the non-encryption program must use the same
>interface as the encryption program.  Text compression is often cited
>as an example of a non-encryption program that can use the same hooks
>as a compression program, but there's a key difference:  the text
>compressor *doesn't* need a key.
>
>The encryption tool would have an interface like
>    Boolean (*)( DataSource, DataSink, void*);
>
>A compressor written to the same interface would never need to touch
>that third argument.  Therefore, the second argument is "specifically
>designed" to permit an encryption tool to be used.
>
>You'd need a program which not only *accepted* the additional parameter,
>but also *needed* the second parameter.  I confess I have some difficulty
>thinking of one.
>

PKZIP allows encryption (other's ?).  How about a hook to that?

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"We work in the dark  We do what we can  We give what we have
Our doubt is our passion  And our passion is our task   
The rest is the madness of art."  
                   --Henry James
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