Re: Java (was Netscape: the big win)

[Ray Cromwell <rjc@clark.net>]

> 
> So, what would be a "cypherpunk" thing you could do with Java?  I know
> I can use it to download little applets to my system to do animations.
> What can it do to enhance my privacy?  What would be the Java equivalent
> of PGP?


* Protocol Handler
  implement a remailer:  URI that automagically communicates with remailers
  implement a pgp: URI that can decode pgp signed/encrypted text 
     automagically. Use this to implement a server where users can post
     encrypted messages for other users, and the user, upon clicking the
     link, say pgp://rays_message_to_hal.html, gets the message automatically
     decoded. The encrypted text could even be HTML!
  implement an anonymous mailto: URI that works like mailto:, but uses
    an anonymous return block or blindserver automatically

* Content Handlers
  implement a handler to decode PEM/RIPEM or any other kind of crypto 
     MIME type
  implement a handler to check signatures, that way users could use
   a multipart message, the first part being a text/html or text/plain,
   the second part being a signature. The handler would automatically
    check the signature and notify the user that the content he is 
    reading is authenticated (by beep, or icon, or title bar, whatever)

* Applications

Implement a Elm-like mailer app, complete with editor, that can send 
    rfc822 normal mail, or, optionally, send thru any remailer chain
    at the click of a radio button

  Implement an object which can open a socket to key server or list
    of remailers server, get the list, display properties, etc

  
The possibilities are endless. All of these things can be done in emacs, but
unlike emacs, Java will be embedded into Netscape meaning the installed based
of users will be much larger.

-Ray