From: tcmay@got.net (Timothy C. May)
Date: Sat, 2 Dec 1995 09:23:19 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: A "Warning Banner" for Netscape Navigator? Good idea!
Message-ID: <ace4d9270f0210047e2d@[205.199.118.202]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


At 10:16 PM 12/1/95, Brian Davis wrote:

>And thus we return to my original point, which is that it will depend on
>what is said/disclosed.  If every copy of GAKscape had a banner, bigger
>than the Netscape "N" which said, "The government can read every message
>you send using this software no matter what you do" then I think
>consumers will be hard pressed to say they weren't warned.

I agree with this.

In fact, I think it's an excellent argument for providing this in Netscape.
Seriously. A version of Netscape with such warning banners (exact wording
to be determined, but probably mentioning limited key lengths, GAK, etc.)
would be a Good Thing.

And if Netscape Communications will not release their products in such a
way, some alternatives may exist. Maybe:

1. A patch that adds this, analogous to the patches that alter the Netscape
logo.

2. An entirely patched new version.

Good idea, Brian!

One patch I'd pay money to have is one which intercept the "commercials"
Netscape blasts out at us and replace them with something else (maybe
nothing, maybe a "quote for the day," maybe something from a
user-selectable file of items).

I understand that Netscape is collecting money for these "commercials," and
that they control what is sent out. So, any such patch to intercept/remove
these commercials would have to be done locally. Can this be done?

--Tim May

Views here are not the views of my Internet Service Provider or Government.
---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
Timothy C. May              | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,
tcmay@got.net  408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
Corralitos, CA              | knowledge, reputations, information markets,
Higher Power: 2^756839      | black markets, collapse of governments.
"National borders are just speed bumps on the information superhighway."