From: David Honig <honig@otc.net>
Date: Wed, 7 Jan 1998 02:01:00 +0800
To: Tim May <cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: cypherpunks and guns
In-Reply-To: <19980106005136.23824@eskimo.com>
Message-ID: <3.0.5.32.19980106095312.007b8eb0@otc.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



At 01:54 AM 1/6/98 -0800, Tim May wrote:
>At 12:51 AM -0800 1/6/98, Wei Dai wrote:
>>I don't understand why there is so much talk about guns here lately.

Wei, Tim's response, though correct, is too serious.  The real reason, I am
inferring as I was not the initiator, was humor.

This list tolerates a fair amount of crap, including spam and random
ad-hominems.
This is a result of the openness required to permit anonymous posts as has 
been explained in the last month or so.

I have considered this 1. an occasional demonstration of
crypto issues, esp. anonymity and authentication 2.  just typical net.abuse.
(There is also some oddness going on apparently between Vulis and others on
this
list, which Vulis didn't deny was spoofed when I asked.  I don't know why,
as V. seems to be libertarian, if homophobic.)

There are also various humorous threads and banter that occurs.  The gun-troll
was part of that.  Of course, it was a respectable question and answered well,
although TM's answer tended towards the expensive, but Intel has done well.
Both the question itself on this list, and the dryness of the answers, were
amusing.

The body-armor question is humorous also, esp. following the gun side-thread.

Of course, your milage may vary.


------------------------------------------------------------
      David Honig                   Orbit Technology
     honig@otc.net                  Intaanetto Jigyoubu

	"How do you know you are not being deceived?" 
	---A Compendium of Analytic TradeCraft Notes, 
	Directorate of Intelligence, CIA