Real world crypto problems -- Usenet

[jpp@markv.com]

Summary:  Use (anonymous) certificates to fix Usenet, and mailing lists.

  I think this message is interesting to the readers of cypherpunks
because it describes the a decentralized, crypto supported, solution
to the problems of e-speach in e-public places.

  If a message is found on a usenet group, a mailing list, or any
other 'e-public' space for that matter, one is tempted to assume that
its content is apropriate for the space, and interesting.  But who
certified that?  On moderated lists, the moderator(s) did, and things
usualy go a little more smoothly.  On unmoderated lists, only the
author.

  Were there a way to attach signed judgements to posted articles (as
articles naturally), you could program your mail reader to skip
articles which aren't judged highly enough by your favorite judges.
Then, the flames would die away -- few people would judge them
interesting enough.

  The incentive for the reader is to improve their judgment of judges,
and so spend more time reading good stuff (neural net learning
anyone?).  The incentive for the judges is to earn 'reps' or money
(how to sell judgements?).  The incentive for the poster is to be
heard (improving their 'rep'), and so if no (important, in the
poster's opinion) judges like their stuff, they will feel an incentive
to improve their posts.

  Naturally the anarchist in me feels that any person shoud be able to
act as reader, poster, or judge at any time.

  What Usenet, this, and other lists lack are digital reputations.  I
belive it is a 'real world' problem which is aproaching the size of
the 'private email' problem.  I am going to abandon the private IP
stuff for a little while, and see if I can hack up a pseudonymous
certificate system ala Chaum from the bones of magic money.

j'
--
		   O I am Jay Prime Positive jpp@markv.com
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 524 bit fingerprint 2A915D = 8A 7C B9 F2 D5 46 4D ED  66 23 F1 71 DE FF 51 48
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