The Depravities of Cypherpunks

["L. Detweiler" <ld231782@longs.lance.colostate.edu>]

I did not understand Mr. Metzger at first. When he sent me messages in
the form `go away and leave us alone' I thought he was suggesting I be
censored from the cypherpunks mailing list. Apparently he is only
objecting to personal email from me. Well, after receiving 40 messages
with the concatenated contents of other messages from him and myself
over the matter, in response to the following two, I certainly will not do so.

Mr. Metzger did say it was OK for me to post to the Cypherpunks list,
for which I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude in his allowing me
his permission. He threatened to send me 400 letters the next time I
sent him personal mail however, and of course he is certainly capable of it.

I mailed postmaster@lehman.com, asking him to encourage Mr. Metzger to
learn how to use a kill file instead of sending me mailbombs in
response to his obvious intense mental anguish at seeing my name <g>,
but unfortunately Mr. Metzger is the postmaster at his site.

Mr. Hughes is quite perplexed at my sheer rage at Mr. Metzger's
unsurpassed childishness. He didn't approve of me attempting to shame
Mr. Metzger (a close personal friend, I suppose) into refraining from
sending me mailbombs and dealing with his own insanity in a more
proactive manner -- like figuring out how to implement a kill file in
his mail -- by informing the cypherpunk world of his puerile prank. I
told Mr. Hughes that it was likely that Mr. Metzger was his own site
administrator (I was not positive at this point, alas). Mr. Hughes has
not responded to that letter.

Mr. Hughes is also quite puzzled why I should violate Mr. Metzger's
privacy in revealing his `private' mailbomb to other members of the
community he (supposedly) resides in. I guess he believes that
mailbombs, like everything else, are a private matter. My apologies,
Mr. Hughes, for what you consider an inappropriate use of your mailing
list. My personal opinion is that I had essentially no other recourse,
and even the `recourse' I chose was obviously ineffective! I asked Mr.
Hughes to condemn Mr. Metzger's behavior. So far his only comment is
that it was `rude'. Maybe he will have another opinion upon learning of
Mr. Metzgers 40 letter bomb just received, or his 400 letter threat. Or
maybe he thinks that Mr. Metzger is just another patriotic cypherpunk,
perhaps even deserving of a medal!

Also, I have mail from Mr. Jason Zions (jazz@hal.com) also complaining
that I violated Mr. Metzger's privacy in revealing his mailbomb to me
to the list as a whole. This strange code of cypherpunk chivalry I am
not familar with. I am quite bewildered! Perhaps someone can point me
to an FTP site housing the Cypherpunk Code of Chivalry. I looked on
soda.berkeley.com and found the Cypherpunk Charter (By E.Hughes)
talking a lot about things like privacy and software, but it didn't
really seem to address the issue of mailbombing. Maybe the basic idea
is just privacy *everywhere*, even with cyberspacial assault and
societal criminals. I guess I did miss the point. If all the other
cypherpunks condone or applaud Mr. Metzger's behavior, please let me
know. I'm not really sure what the consensus is on this. (Of course,
here, no one can really be sure of the consensus on *anything*! <g>) I
certainly haven't heard from anyone I respect yet, assuming these
people are still on the list.

BTW -- I do get the impression that the list membership is down.
Perhaps Mr. Hughes can reveal that directly. Some people have been
blaming me for the `deterioration of the list' lately. Another person
told me that the list had `quite improved since I stopped posting'. I'm
not sure what to make of all this -- unless both were tentacles, I
suppose that might explain it all. Frankly, I have been posting very
little lately compared to my Golden Cypherpunk Days. (ah, the carefree
and naive life of youth.) Also, Mr. Hughes has always advocated
software solutions like kill files, and if anyone objects to my
presence, please put me in yours. It is silly to continually be
offended by me! The people who are interested in listening will not
plonk me, and those that are inflamed by my postings *will* -- what
could be simpler? That certainly couldn't be a problem for anyone,
could it? I mean, if what I am saying has no merit, people will
immediately recognize that, right? To paraphrase somebody else, `There
is only a message'.

* * *

P.M., after the 40 letter mailbomb
>If you insist on 400 detweiler, I'll send them to you. Last warning.

Mr. Metzger, I assure you an apocalypse in cyberspace will happen
before I will ever send a message to the address pmetzger@lehman.com.
In fact, perhaps you could tell me all your other addresses, so I do
not inadvertently send mail to them. For example, I had a glimmer of
hope that postmaster@lehman.com was not you, and paid dearly for it
with your 40 letter mailbomb. 

Mr. Metzger, Do you pseudospoof? This could be a problem. What if I
inadvertently send something to one of your tentacles? Does that count?
Will you mailbomb me in that case, or just forgive me for my stark
ignorance? I have to ask a favor, if you don't--perhaps you could give
me a list of all the addresses you post from. I mean, that would
compromise the pseudoanonymous security of your identities, but on the
other hand I have absolutely no desire to be subject to another
explosion in my mailbox when I open my mail! I guess in this case, you
might have to decide which is worth more, your hatred for me and insane
desire that you not see any communication from me in any form, or your
passionate goal of further undetected, secret pseudospoofing.

You have to forgive me for my instinct of replying to the letters in my
mailbox. It has served me well until now. I assure you I will now make
an exception in your case! For example, my response to your last
letterbomb threat might have been `please don't do it!' but I now
realize that would have gotten me `nowhere' (or wherever it is that
bomb victims go) thanks to the previous two mailbombs! Thanks for the
valuable education in cyberspacial netiquette! (All my habits and
perceptions in cyberspace have been radically altered lately in
response to changing circumstances, and your mailbombing is just the
latest incarnation, so I certainly shouldn't be complaining!)

HOWEVER -- I will continue to post to the cypherpunks list, since you,
Mr. Metzger, have so kindly given me permission and I am still not
being censored yet. Please, please, please Mr. Metzger, do not
interpret this as sending you private mail! I certainly have NO DESIRE
WHATSOEVER to be subject to your 400 LETTER MAILBOMB. Perhaps some
other cypherpunks, who have no objections to your behavior so far, and
criticize me for taking a stand by condemning it publicly, would like
to VOLUNTEER IN MY PLACE.

So, here is what bought me the 40 letter mailbomb:

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