From: Toto <toto@sk.sympatico.ca>
Date: Mon, 14 Apr 1997 17:45:31 -0700 (PDT)
To: Wesley Felter <wesf@mail.utexas.edu>
Subject: Re: SSL weakness affecting links from pa
In-Reply-To: <199704142152.RAA11179@relay3.smtp.psi.net>
Message-ID: <3352CDD5.6B98@sk.sympatico.ca>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


Wesley Felter wrote:

> If I want to run an SSL
> Web server, why the hell won't Navigator or MSIE let me do it
> (peacefully) without a certificate? 
> If I
> already paid RSA's ransom for SSL servers and clients, why should I have
> to pay Verisign an outrageous amount of money to make clients "trust" my
> server

> I know that Netscape is making the Internet safe for rampant consumerism
> (if you see the blue bar, it's safe to spend money), but what about
> secure, non-financial communications? Sorry, the needs of the AOL sheep
> to not have to think about security outweigh everything else. While I
> think referrers and cookies are useful, they represent other ways in
> which the big commercial browser companies want to pave over the Internet
> and turn it into the Mall of America. 

  My own theory is that the Great Beast talked about in the Book of
Revelations is the Home Shopping Network. The graven image which
the Jews worshipped in the the Egyptian desert was actually a
Fat Elvis porcelain figurine, embedded with genuine cubic zirconiums.

  When Jesus returns, it will be on his own WebSite. The only question
is whether the server will be in Jerusalem, Rome, or Salt Lake City.
  The reason Armageddon will be such a great battle is that Jesus will
be handicapped by the fact that so many of his representatives have
pissed away the major portion of his reputation capital during his
absence. The Home Shopping Network, having never had much reputation
capital, will be forced to drop prices dramatically, resulting in us
all entering a Heavenly Kingdom where we can each afford a Plastic
Jesus for our dashboard AND a Fat Elvis porcelain figure for our
boudoir.

  Of course, the above scenario all depends on Jesus being able to
get certification as a 'trusted authority' for his WebSite.
  I hope he brings his wallet with him.
-- 
Toto
"The Xenix Chainsaw Massacre"
http://bureau42.base.org/public/xenix/xenbody.html