A short response to L. Detweiler: 'I exist as myself.'

[hughes@ah.com (Eric Hughes)]

L. Detweiler's recent article on the RISKS of confusing an online
identity with a potentially knowable physical one are quite
interesting, if hypothetical.

I would be interested in hearing of situations where this practice
has actually occurred.  If any RISKS members know of any such
incidents from first-hand experience, please share them with the
readership.

Unfortunately, I think he really believes that the cypherpunks mailing
list has been dominated by a small cabal who have been using multiple
identities who talk with each other on the list in order to enforce
concensus and to suppress disagreeing positions, namely his.

It just ain't so.  

Therefore, to set the record straight I feel I ought to make the
following public statement:

I, Eric Hughes, have never posted or communicated in any name other
than my own.  I can personally testify that I am not the same as any
of the other people listed at the end of L. Detweiler's post, and I
can testify from personal experience that Arthur Chandler, Hal Finney,
Tim C. May, and Nick Szabo are all different people.

I also decline to answer, point by point, the numerous defamatory
innuendos made by L. Detweiler against the members of the cypherpunks
mailing list.  Might I also observe that none of the statements are
specific enough to actually count as accusation, but merely as general
slander?

Eric