From: Gregory Ellison <gregorye@microsoft.com>
Date: Sun, 28 Jul 1996 03:51:59 +0800
To: "'cypherpunks@toad.com>
Subject: RE: Overwelmed with Stupidity...
Message-ID: <c=US%a=_%p=msft%l=RED-13-MSG-960727172150Z-2407@tide19.microsoft.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


>Shaun Clark <jacquard@teleport.com> writes:
>
> > Ok, ok... Let me say something, but I don't want anyone to
> > take this wrong. I'm not trying to be stupid, but I don't
> > have half the knowledge you all seem to posses.
>
and Mike Duvos <mpd@netcom.com> replies:

>That's ok.  Welcome to the list.
>
then proceeds to pull Mike's leg by telling him TRS-80 is a technical
paper by David Sternlight, DES is a synthetic estrogen that shrinks your
dick, and GAK is green slime on a kiddie show.

In my mind, this is just schoolyard bully-ism at the expense of the "new
kid."  Really mature, really nurturing of the serious values and issues
this list exists to disseminate.  Go back to second grade, Mike.

I, too, am a relative newcomer to this list, and have not participated
very actively because I'm having a hard time gauging the balance between
the genuinely useful technical and philosophical issues being discussed
(of which there are many) and the childish, irrational ranting and
insulting pseudo-intellectual one-upsmanship being bantered about (of
which there is far too much).  If people like Mike Duvos can't bring
themselves to offer any useful information to newcomers who earnestly
ask, they could at least refrain from insulting them for the "crime" of
not knowing.

Shaun, TRS-80 is an early line of microcomputers produced by Radio
Shack, DES is a (not very secure) encryption algorithm supported by the
Bureau of Standards, and GAK stand for "govenment access to keys," the
position that the government should have access to all private keys (in
escrow, of course) just in case there is a "legitimate" need to listen
in on anybody's private communications.

I believe in the values this list was founded to promulgate, and I value
it for the open political, technical and philosopical discussions of
issues crucial to our time.  And, yes, it's great to have fun, too, but
does it always have to be mean-spirited fun at someone else's expense?

-- Gregory

<gregorye@microsoft.com>
"Opinions expressed herein are entirely my own and not the opinions of
my employer."
PGP key for <gregorye@microsoft.com> is on the keyservers


>