From: ichudov@Algebra.COM (Igor Chudov @ home)
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 1997 11:40:40 +0800
To: devnull@manifold.algebra.com
Subject: Re: MatchPseudonym Technology / Re: encouraging digital pseudonyms
In-Reply-To: <3426D660.6874@dev.null>
Message-ID: <199709230329.WAA22595@manifold.algebra.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text



Prof. TruthMonger wrote:
> Tim May wrote:
> > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> > Hash: SHA2
> > 
> > At 3:16 AM -0700 9/22/97, Wei Dai wrote:
> > >One of Tim's suggested cypherpunk projects is to encourage the use of
> > >digital pseudonyms (i.e. cryptographically persistent entities not linked
> > >with True Names).
> 
>   Like TruthMonger!

That cypherpunk project came to fruition a year and a half ago.

My moderation bot STUMP, available for free download at my Web Site
http://www.algebra.com/~ichudov, actively supports pseudonymous posters
who identify themselves with PGP.

> > >When I see a piece of email sent to the cypherpunks list
> > >from an anonymous remailer, I typically delete it without reading, because
> > >there is no easy way to tell between anynoymous email (which are typically
> > >junk) and pseudonymous email, and there is no easy way to filter by
> > >pseudonym.

STUMP rewrites the From: field for pseudonymous letters, substituting
the From: field to the user ID in the PGP key.

> > I'm planning to make more serious use of pseudonyms, digitally signed.
> > Despite what LD used to claim about my use of "tentacles," it was simply
> > too much trouble to do the elaborate cut-and-paste of using PGP 1.9, 2.7.
> > 2.85, etc. for my Amiga.
> 
>   Well, if Mr. Cryptography himself finds it too much trouble to
> use cryptography, then I guess it shows how lame the efforts are
> of the CypherPunks who complain that Joe Sheeple doesn't use it,
> either.

I have had great success with people who never used PGP and then
started using it to sign pseudonymous articles (like Prof. CBI-admin@...).

> > To this end, this message is being signed. With my new PGP 5.6 key. Signed
> > by my old (really, really, old) 1989 key.
> 
>   This ought to ensure that you won't be the target of forgeries in
> your name, or scum who misquote and/or twist your words.

STUMP does that and more.

Interestingly, rec.martial-arts.moderated, which also uses my bot, went
even farther than soc.culture.russian.moderated and now requires all
anonymous users to sign their posts with PGP -- in essense making them
pseudonymous. I was a bit surprised initially, but do not mind it as
long as anyone can post anonymously.

	- Igor.