From: Black Unicorn <unicorn@schloss.li>
Date: Mon, 1 Apr 1996 15:47:41 +0800
To: "Vladimir Z. Nuri" <vznuri@netcom.com>
Subject: Re: Witch Hunts
In-Reply-To: <199603312326.PAA04845@netcom22.netcom.com>
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.91.960331211245.18816R-100000@polaris.mindport.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


On Sun, 31 Mar 1996, Vladimir Z. Nuri wrote:

> 
> Bruce Zambini <jlasser@rwd.goucher.edu>
> >If Mr. Unicorn is indeed Detweiller, it is in the mold of Vlad Z. Nuri, 
> >who (while almost certainly Detweiller) has produced useful contributions 
> >on the list, while refraining from acting out.
> 
> sigh. I don't know why this periodic identity madness visits this
> list. does it have something to do with phases of the moon? do you guys
> do harass everyone who hasn't personally attended a cypherpunk
> meeting?

I have personally attended a cypherpunks meeting.  Seems that's not one 
of the required ommissions.

> as for your speculations, all I can say is that Mr. Unicorn is one of
> the many people who seem to have violent prejudices against me posting
> here because of some supposed similarity of my style to this notorious
> Detweiller fellow. so it wouldn't make much sense to me if he was
> really me, er, sorry, Detweiller. <g>

Cute.

> it seems to me that by now, people might have figured out that all this
> silly identity speculation is a total waste of time (and tends only
> to start flamewars) on a list that is
> by official administration and consensus agreement, "anything goes".

Perhaps, if these identity issues tire you so, you should stop fostering 
them?

> in this forum, there is only a message. the messenger is irrelevant.

This, of course, ignores all issues of reputation capital.  The message 
is still only as good as the messenger, which is why I have maintained 
this nym for so long.  Or more accurately, the message is only as good as 
it is heard.  The message is heard in proportion to the reputation 
capital the messenger holds.

> we could all post anonymously and have precisely the same effect. in
> fact, I don't think it would be all that bad of an idea.

I believe this in error.  This is why I work to debunk Mr. Bell, and why 
I don't post with complete anonyminity.  Of course, as you have no 
reputation capital of note, you would be of the view that posting without 
any name at all would be of no worth.  You, like Mr. Bell, have little to 
lose.

---
My preferred and soon to be permanent e-mail address:unicorn@schloss.li
"In fact, had Bancroft not existed,       potestas scientiae in usu est
Franklin might have had to invent him."    in nihilum nil posse reverti
00B9289C28DC0E55  E16D5378B81E1C96 - Finger for Current Key Information