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Re: Digital Cash
--==<Quoting Uucp to John Schofield about "Re: Digital Cash">==--
Uu> I have always been skeptical of this observer-chip approach, because
Uu> it wasn't clear that it was feasible to make a tamper-resistant chip
Uu> economically, and because the specialized hardware that would be
Uu> required would prevent the system from being used on widely-available
Uu> PCs. However, now we see that our military rulers apparently trust
Uu> tamper-resistant technology well enough to put it into thousands of
Uu> public hands, without fear that even one chip will be opened and read.
Uu> Breaking an observer only lets you double-spend the coins it holds,
Uu> while breaking Clipper allows you to permanently defeat the escrow
Uu> provisions of the whole system. So this suggests that the technology
Uu> is adequate for observers.
I once asked my grandfather if he was sure he could take apart the tractor he
was working on. His response? "A man put it together." Anything one man can
do, another can undo--the only variable is the degree of effort required. I'm
sure we can make a tamper-resistant chip, but can we make a tamper-proof one?
No.
Considering the determination and intelligence of some of the people involved,
I'm sure that a tamper-resistant chip would be compromised pretty quickly.
--John Schofield
... I tried an internal modem, but it hurt when I walked.
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