From: Jim Choate <ravage@ssz.com>
Date: Fri, 3 Oct 1997 11:28:33 +0800
To: cypherpunks@ssz.com (Cypherpunks Distributed Remailer)
Subject: None (fwd)
Message-ID: <199710030342.WAA29338@einstein.ssz.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text



Forwarded message:

> Date: Fri, 3 Oct 1997 04:05:48 +0200 (MET DST)
> Subject: Re: Remailers and ecash
> From: nobody@REPLAY.COM (Anonymous)

> A pinging system can be set up to verify that all the remailers are
> operating correctly.

It will certaily tell you if the system is network aware, as to internal
operation and its validity it says nothing. If you want to test it you must
send each remailer in the network a message with a final destination of the
source. If you don't get it back you know the remailer is not online. This
is called a 'loopback'.

> Thus forwarding within the remailer network is free,

So as long as I only send traffic to other remailers the electricity and
such are not charged? How does my local electric company measure this?
If the remailer is turned on there is a cost. Unless you are getting charged
by the packet the cost of operating is indipenant of the traffic until you
have to increase your clogged pipe. Commercialy irrelevant approach.

> insert new messages.  This scheme is a little more flexible than attaching
> ecash to each message because you can arrange any type of fee schedule you
> like, such as a flat rate per month.

But it doesn't pay for the cover traffic. It also short changes the
man-in-the-middle remailers since they have to spend resources without
getting recompensed. This would indicate that there is little financial
motive to operate a remailer that deals only with other remailers.

> There's also the reverse of this, where remailers accept from anyone, but
> only send to other remailers.  Thus you have to pay to get your messages
> out of the remailer network.  This is more restrictive because the payment
> must be anonymous.

So what keeps me from submitting message after message and never pulling
them out? I guess you just keep paying the bills to pay for the increasing
traffic and the need to increase your pipe to carry it. Commercialy
irrelevant. Also, consider the exponential expansion from cover traffic.

> Sign up with an ISP that offers alt.anonymous.messages.  This one is a
> no-brainer. (and profitable for the ISP)
> 
> This results in a system where sending messages is essentially free (since
> free remailers exist) but it costs money to receive them.  So far it seems
> to be successful, at least for those who pay a flat fee for usenet access.

So what if I use a free-net or perhaps one of the free machines at the
public library or at the local college? Or the system at work?


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