Re: Clipper Chip report on 700 Club today (Wednesday)

[mlshew@netcom.com (Mark Shewmaker)]

I was asked in private mail how the show went.

I'll write up a proper summary later, but for now, rest assured that it
was a most excellent report.  There were a few technical inaccuracies here
and there, (~"Clipper is the most secure encryption device they've come up
with yet"), but for the most part, if you were out to give a ten minute
explanation of the facts of life in regards to encryption to people who
would never read _Wired_, and actually spread useful and non-hostile memes,
you'd have a hard time outdoing that segment of the 700 club.

They interviewed a number of people, including a spokesman from NIST, EFF,
and Dorothy Denning herself.  The guy summarizing the situation at the
end mentioned how the government claims these regulations are just for
child molestors, terrorists, and criminals, but that after any regulatory
sytem is in place, there's nothing to keep them from redefining who the
criminals are, and so monitor anyone they like.

I'll write up a better summary in a few days.

(Remember: 10pm and 2am on the Family Channel.  I'd recommend watching it
if you still can.)

-Mark Shewmaker