Re: Don Listwin, flaming idiot of the month

[Paul Traina <pst@cisco.com>]

  From: Matthew J Ghio <mg5n+@andrew.cmu.edu>
  Subject: Re: Don Listwin, flaming idiot of the month
  Paul Traina <pst@cisco.com> wrote:
  
  > I'd like to nominate Don Listwin for the first 'Flaming Idiot of the Month'
  > award,  since he has not fucking clue what he is talking about.
  > 
  > Suffice it to say,  most all of us are in favor of things like anonymous
  > remailers and devices on the net to protect anonymous activities and
  > keep us free from the clutches of big brother.  Unfortunately,  I happen
  > to work for a company who's vice president of marketing likes to hear
  > his fucking gums flap and who doesn't have enough of a brain to match
  > his oratory complex.
  > 
  > Little does he know that cisco's already been infiltrated by avid
  > cypherpunks, cypherpunk friends,  and proto-cypherpunks (before
  > John's first meeting).
  > 
  > Sigh... anyone got a deal on some lead pipe suitable of embedding
  > in the empty skull of a certain suit?
  > 
  > Paul
  
  Would you care to provide us some background info about Mr. Listwin so
  we can decypher this?  :)

Since a couple of people have asked me why I was ragging on Don Listwin,
here's the original message that brought it to this forum:

----- Begin Forwarded Message -----

From: Darren Reed <avalon@coombs.anu.edu.au>
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: anarchy and sobatage! cryptos beware...


From a local newspaper, a quote which some of you might find interesting:

   'The virtual anarchists pose another security problem for the Internet
because they have formed an organised group aimed at sabotaging US
Government moves to enfore digitial signiatures on the Internet to allow
authorities to identify the source of all messages on the system.
   According to Listwin, opponents of the scheme have begun advertising
for "top-notch nerds" to join the group.
   "It's like the spy movies where secret agents do blind drops of
information.  People are doing blind drops on the Internet so that you
don't know where the messages come from," Listwin said.'

(from an article on the 'recent' breakin at Cisco, The Age, 15/4/94,
 Charles Wright.  Don Listwin is Cisco's vice-pres. of marketting.  As
 a result of this breakin, he says Cisco will move to hand held response
 challenge cards).

Anyone got any suggestions for replies I could send back to the author,
relating to the subject of anonymity, digitial signiatures, etc ?

Darren
----- End of Forwarded Message -----