From: John Deters <jad@dsddhc.com>
Date: Thu, 15 Aug 1996 02:24:11 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: 2600 (the magazine)
Message-ID: <2.2.32.19960814143736.0036474c@labg30>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


At 12:27 AM 8/14/96 -0500, Jim Choate <ravage@einstein.ssz.com> wrote:

>The current issue of 2600 is out. I bought mine at Barnes & Nobles.
>
>It has a couple of articles on cryptography as well as a port scanner
>program for Linux.

I browsed the article on "cryptography" briefly on Monday.  I think using
the term "cryptography" to describe it is a bit strong.  The author is
encouraging people to basically XOR data with a repeating key (a modified
Vigniere) and then proclaims it forever unbreakable.

I was somewhat unimpressed.

"Why the hell doesn't Janet Reno outlaw this kind of irresponsible magazine?
They're showing KIDS how to encrypt data, for God's sake!"

Actually, one of us (he says, ducking the responsibility personally) should
probably write an article for them on how to use PGP.  (Maybe something that
doesn't use words bigger than "warez".)  I got it!  A one pager.  Paragraph
one gives the URL to Joel's PGP QuickStart (a description and a link is on
Joel's tools page at http://www.eskimo.com/~joelm/tools.html and the
executable itself is at ftp://ftp.eskimo.com/u/j/joelm/Install.exe [plug
plug]) and says, "run this program to install PGP."  The rest of the page
can be devoted to "how to hide your kewl viruses from your clueless teachurz".

Hmm.  Maybe I will write that article.  After all, they give out a free
subscription to authors (and since I buy the rag anyway) it might be worth
it.  But if someone wants to beat me to it, go for it.  I feel my ambition
slipping steadily away, and I haven't even got out of the e-mail phase
yet...  :-)

John
--
J. Deters  "Captain's log, stardate 25970-point-5.  I am nailed to the hull."
+-------------------------------------------------------+
| NET:   jad@dsddhc.com (work)    jad@pclink.com (home) |
| PSTN:  1 612 375 3116 (work)    1 612 894 8507 (home) |
| ICBM:  44^58'33"N by 93^16'42"W Elev. ~=290m (work)   |
| PGP Key ID:  768 / 15FFA875                           |
+-------------------------------------------------------+