From: Rich Graves <llurch@networking.stanford.edu>
Date: Sat, 11 May 1996 16:47:44 +0800
To: Alan Bostick <abostick@netcom.com>
Subject: Re: Are remailers designed to be knocked down?
In-Reply-To: <A92kx8m9L4fI085yn@netcom.com>
Message-ID: <Pine.GUL.3.93.960510195558.2815P-100000@Networking.Stanford.EDU>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


On Fri, 10 May 1996, Alan Bostick wrote:

> The Scientology wars are spilling over into alt.usenet.kooks again, and
> Keith Henson had this odd thing to say.  I thought Cypherpunk discussion
> of Keith's thesis would be interesting.
> 
> hkhenson@netcom.com (Keith Henson) wrote:
> > 
> > Ah, but the remailers are *designed* to be knocked down.  The
> > are not expected to last if they are being used for serious 
> > causes.  But the package for doing another one and getting it
> > hooked into the network is easy to install--even in a user
> > act.  Knocking out a remailer will usually halt the effort to
> > get back at the person/persons who were spilling the beans.
> > Social factors involved here.  If any of you would like to 
> > help, offer to run a remailer for a while.  Consider it a 
> > temporary civic duty.  Keith Henson

I think this is reasonable. I would HOPE that a remailer under heavy
attack would be able to shut down, publicly, before it was taken over by
the legal authorities or other armed thugs. 

-rich