Re: "True Names," chat with Vinge, and Cypherpunks

[Dan Harmon <harmon@tenet.edu>]

Where is Mecca?

On Tue, 12 Jul 1994, Timothy C. May wrote:

> 
> > > Wormholes, reversible computation, the 7,000-Cray NSA computer, the
> > > problems with nanotech, the problems with AI, the Tines and the
> > > Powers, the Extropians group (Vernor was curious), the Singularity,
> > > and the implications of the OJ Simpson case were a few of the
> > > topics. (Yes, several of us had "wasted" our time watching this
> > > case. Me, I think it's drama of truly Shakespearean proportions, and
> > > should not be "dissed" just becuase it's getting more attention than
> > > the Rhwandans and Haitians are getting...not to mention the boring
> > > Bosnians.)
> > 
> > Did Vinge have anything of interest to the list to say that you could 
> > pass on?
> > 
> > Wes thu hal,
> > Al Billings
> 
> Al is not the only person to ask.
> 
> I mentioned the topics we talked about. But he did not speak in
> Zarathustra-like aphorisms. Nothing specific to quote, as he wasn't
> giving a lecture and we weren't taking notes.
> 
> He's working on a sequel to "A Fire Upon the Deep," is writing a story
> set deep in the Slow Zone (the Oprah Zone?), and is getting a lot of
> publisher attention. 
> 
> He had some funny things to say about San Diego State, where he
> teaches in the CS department. Ironically, there was a "cyberpunk"
> conference held there, and VV was not invited (or was overlooked) So
> Bear and Brin, friends of his, kept asking pointedly, "Where's
> Vernor?"
> 
> On the Singularity, I've already said a fair amount.
> 
> He was very interested to hear about the Cypherpunks--he said he'd
> gotten some articles forwarded to him. He may attend the September
> meeting by M-BONE...Eric Hughes plans to contact Phil Karn to see if a
> San Diego hookup is possible for that meeting. (The September meeting,
> as we discussed at the CP meeting on Saturday, will be a special recap
> of progress, the Second Anniversary meeting.)
> 
> This is all I can write for now. Oh, I made it clear to him on several
> occasions just how important "True Names" was to the formation of my
> own ideas about crypto anarchy (I first discovered it in a
> passed-around Xerox samizdat in 1986).
> 
> --Tim May
> 
> 
> -- 
> ..........................................................................
> Timothy C. May         | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,  
> tcmay@netcom.com       | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
> 408-688-5409           | knowledge, reputations, information markets, 
> W.A.S.T.E.: Aptos, CA  | black markets, collapse of governments.
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>