From: Adam Back <aba@dcs.ex.ac.uk>
Date: Thu, 9 Jul 1998 16:19:26 -0700 (PDT)
To: pooh@efga.org
Subject: Re: "Classified" Ads  (Was Re: RSA in perl illegal to export)
In-Reply-To: <3.0.3.32.19980709163207.03355c8c@mail.atl.bellsouth.net>
Message-ID: <199807092311.AAA07749@server.eternity.org>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



Robert writes:
> If there is any real interest in doing this as a group, I'll be happy
> to setup a web site and a mail list for this.

and Jim Choate said similar.

A constructive comment: in my obeservation setting up mailing lists
for mini-projects is a sure way to reduce the number of participants
in the project.

A few years back when we were all cracking RC4, it was done right here
on the cypherpunks list.  There were no new lists created.  I suspect
that the CPU resoureces contributed benefitted orders of magnitude due
to this as people got swept up in the fun of it and joined in.  (I
won't volunteer Perry's list as he tries to keep it focussed and I
suspect a few hundred posts on adverts and PR would result in him
turning up the squelch).  So I suggest use cypherpunks list (*).
(subscribe to majordomo@cyberpass.net with message: subscribe
cypherpunks, for those on cryptography).

If we had on the other hand started a list, I suspect a few dozen
might have subscribed, and the rest of us would have forgotten about
it, and heard no more feedback on it.

Lets go for it, I'll join in also, but please in the interests of it's
chances of success, keep it to the cypherpunks list.

Some comments on the thread of what would be most effective:

Anyone with a tame PR expert they can quiz about the best way to
maximise publicity:

- what stunt would create most publicity
- who in the press should be contacted
- which computer companies and who to contact with in them to donate
  funds if funds are required (eg advert)

it may be for example that plenty of publicity can be had for free
with a suitable stunt, if media can be interested.

Perhaps (or perhaps not) Peter Junger could be involved, or
referrenced to tie the two togther in the presses mind, and he would
perhaps make a good person for media hacks to interview also.

Adam

(*) Or if someone gets keen perhaps a filtered version of cypherpunks
selecting only posts on this topic might be useful to a few people --
cpunks is high volume.