Encrypting the list

[fnerd@smds.com (FutureNerd Steve Witham)]

On encrypting the list, mostly I vote NO.

The idea of "known non-spies" is, to say the least,
a shakey one.  Not the kind of concept you base security on.
Also not the kind of psychological attitude and atmosphere
that I want to be part of.  "Are you one of US?"

Stewart Brand says in the latest Whole Earth Review, that
as soon as you become one of the people
who knows the kinds of things
that THEY want to know,
then how do other people
know that YOU aren't one of THEM?

We're all prime suspects for being spies.
I'd feel the most secure if everybody kept the content (not
necessarily their true names) out in the open.

Of course there's the fact that we want to be as inviting and
easy-to-connect-to as possible to serious newcomers and potential 
friends.  I count true spies and near-spies among the potential 
friends.  I just don't want this to be, or seem like, a clique.

It would be nice, however, to set up crypto I/O connection
OPTIONS to the list, as an incentive for lazy people like me to
figure out how to get PGP and mail filters set up.

-fnerd
quote me