From: Tom Weinstein <tomw@netscape.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 1996 16:39:53 +0800
To: The Deviant <deviant@pooh-corner.com>
Subject: Re: Netscape
In-Reply-To: <Pine.LNX.3.94.960722185601.950C-100000@switch.sp.org>
Message-ID: <31F3E6D9.794B@netscape.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


The Deviant wrote:
> On Sun, 21 Jul 1996, Tom Weinstein wrote:
>
>> A handful of cyperpunks hardly constitutes "widespread polititcally
>> motivated disobedience".  In any case, the demonization has already
>> begun; they point their fingers at the four horsemen of the internet
>> at every oportunity.
> 
> One might say the same thing about 10 or 20 people throwing shipments
> of tea off of boats in boston harbor.

Good point.

>> What I object to is anonymous activists who perform acts at no risk
>> to themselves which make it harder for those of us who are trying to
>> bring strong crypto to everyone.
> 
> Why?  Because they can do it without risk?  The way I see it, if you
> can do something that should be done, and you can do it at no risk to
> yourself, then its all the better.

Fine.  Please do it with something you write yourself, not with our
products.

>> The first step is to create at least a strong minority.  A handful of
>> cypherpunks can be largely ignored.  We have to get the general
>> public using and educated about strong crypto before civil
>> disobedience will mean anything.
> 
> Hrmm... I'll agree with that... We need to do something to get
> ourselves noticed (and no, I don't mean blowing up the NSA
> headquarters)

Yes, and that's what we're trying to do.  Get strong crypto in the hands
of as many people as we can.  I can hardly wait until we get S/MIME in.

-- 
You should only break rules of style if you can    | Tom Weinstein
coherently explain what you gain by so doing.      | tomw@netscape.com