From: Mok-Kong Shen <mok-kong.shen@stud.uni-muenchen.de>
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1998 02:56:53 +0800
To: cypherpunks@cyberpass.net
Subject: 2nd reposting of a response to Jim Choate (on crypto archives)
Message-ID: <36715BFD.8B6EB309@stud.uni-muenchen.de>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



Note: There was some technical problem since yesterday to cypherpunks
postings, so that my posts to the list didn't result in copies back to 
me. This morning I reposted these, again without success. An hour
ago Igor Chudov informed me that the problem was solved and I have
just verified this with a test message. I am therefore reposting 
once again one of my posts of yesterday here. It is a response to 
Jim Choate. Please ignore it if you have already seen it.

Jim Choate wrote:
> 

> > From: Mok-Kong Shen <mok-kong.shen@stud.uni-muenchen.de>
> 
> > We were talking about a site that has to be closed because of (new)
> > crypto laws, not technically down which is seldom with modern hardware.
> > And also you said that money is no problem!
> 
> You need to go back and re-read what prompted this. Your responce is
> completely out of context.
> 
> > Why you care so much about people who voluteer to run sites? They
> > certainly know what kind of risks that they probably face, financial
> > or otherwise. Do you care your neighbour who opens up a new company
> > and do you feel unconditionally have to give him advices?? Are you
> > the one who is cleverer than all the others?
> 
> It depends, do I shop there?
> 
> I'm done with this discussion. You want to expect people to put their neck
> on the line and you use their services while owning them nothing then wonder
> why nobody does it, so be it.

Let me ask you some clear questions and please give me also clear
answers:

If there is some person who is grown up and is not metally ill
and who decides to volunteer to put up an archive site of crypto
software for the benefit of those who need them, what do you have
against that? Any reasonable person who plans to do some business 
(for profit) certainly well considers the possible risks he might
have. For non-profit activities like what we are discussing it is 
clear that one is much more careful before launching the work. Why 
do you want to disuade him from doing that? If he fails, that's his 
fate but you don't loose a cent because of that. If he puts up a 
site and that has to be closed down after a couple of months because 
of unforeseen new crypto laws, you at least profit in that short 
time period of the possibility of downloading from his site and other 
people also profit from that. If his country has poor economy 
(inflation, unemployment etc. leading possibly to early depletion of 
his monetary resources) or bad infrastucture (total breakdown of 
telecommunication of his country, rendering his site no longer 
operable) or religion (because he is physically injured by religious 
fanatics and therefore unable to work), or whatever other reasons
than these three that you mentioned, that's all HIS business not
YOURS. He, being in his own country, should know all such risks much
much better than you! Be happy that because of him you have one 
more possibilty of obtaining your desired software (during the time
his site is operational)! If he ever gets into trouble, it will be 
fine of you if you will try to help him, through raising funds etc. 
But you are not obliged to do that.

So I don't understand the motivation of your arguing up till now. 
I would be able to understand if you were working in an authority 
attempting to strengthen the effects of crypto laws, thus wishing 
to have as few archive sites in the world as possible, at best none. 
(Of course, I know absolutely nothing of you. Should I happen to 
have made here a wrong assumption about your occupation, then I like 
to offer my sincere apology.)

M. K. Shen