From: Andrew Loewenstern <andrew_loewenstern@il.us.swissbank.com>
Date: Thu, 5 Dec 1996 03:33:32 -0800 (PST)
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Counterproductive Dorothy Denning Flames
In-Reply-To: <199612040549.VAA06361@abraham.cs.berkeley.edu>
Message-ID: <9612042128.AA00799@ch1d157nwk>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


nobody writes:
>  She is seen as "one of us" because she wrote a book on
>  cryptography.  As a consequence, she is seen as a traitor.
>  I am not endorsing this view.

She didn't just write a book on cryptography, but several books.  She is also  
the Chairperson (eek, PC titles...) of the CS department at Georgetown, a  
very respectable institution, and has taught classes there on cryptology.  She  
has also done research on crytpographic access control to databases and other  
stuff.  So as far as being a cryptologist she is quite learned and should  
deserve respect regardless of her political views.

However, after reviewing the Skipjack algorithm (of course her being invited  
to look at it was certainly due to her anti-strong-crypto-for-the-masses  
views), she said something to the effect of "We looked at it over the weekend  
and couldn't find anything wrong with it, so you should trust it." when she  
knows damned well that you can't evaluate a cypher in three days.  It is for  
this that she no longer deserves respect as a cryptologist.  She basically  
cashed in her reputation-capital to help the U.S. Govt. dupe the American  
people into buying Clipper.  Fortunately, we didn't buy it.


andrew