From: Alan Olsen <alano@teleport.com>
Date: Mon, 11 Mar 1996 06:21:17 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Boycott "Applied Cryptography" and AT&T and RSA
Message-ID: <2.2.32.19960307022620.008f307c@mail.teleport.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


At 01:40 PM 3/6/96 -0800, anonymous-remailer@shell.portal.com wrote:
>Bruce Schnier (Author of applied cryptography) and Matt Blaze (Who
>is a crypto bigwig at at&t) have made it clear that they support
>key escrow. Both have written letters in favor of the new crypto
>law, it creates a key escrow system and also other restricts on
>crypto. The letters are on the CDT homepage and i think were
>posted here.

They support a bill which is aimed at easing the restrictions for the uses
of cryptography.  Judging from what I have read from their positions, they
view the bills as having more positive effects than negative effects.
(Which may or may not be true...)

>WHAT THE FUCK??????????????????????????????????????????

Sudden capslock stickage?

>EFF, EPIC, VTW and almost everyone else (except for Bizdos at RSA, hmmmm)
>have all come out against this piece of shit. But with these so called
>experts baking it it could pass anyway.

I think that you are infering evil intent where there is no evidence of
same.  The bill does have some major flaws, but it also has some major
advantages.  Being the cynic that I am, I think that the "use of crypto in a
crime" provisions are a big negative.  Others are not nearly as cynical however.

>Maybe the ltrs are a forgery? We should ask them, and if this is true, LETS
>SEND THEM A MESSAGE!!!!!!!! SWITCH YOUR PHONE SERVICE AND TELL AT&T WHY!!!
>STOP RECOMMENDING APPLIED CRYPTO (THERE ARE EASIER BOOKS ANYWAY). DEMAND
>THAT THESE PEOPLE STOP GIVING AWAY YOUR RIGHTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posting in all caps will not help you convince people of the correctness of
your position.  Claiming conspiracys involving people who have better
reputations for supporting crypto than yourself will not help either.

If I were to charge people with complicity in conspiracy, yours would be one
of the first in line.  (Though a pretty lame one at that...  Trying to smear
people who have actual reputations with juvinile assertions and b1ff style
postings is not the way to win the hearts and minds of the Cypherpunks(tm).)

BTW, good luck in trying to boycott AT&T.  They own alot more than you can
imagine.  "You Will!  And the people to make you do it -- AT&T!"

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