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Re: `careerpunks'
At 2:16 PM -0800 5/12/97, Adam Back wrote:
>[This post cc [email protected] & [email protected] to
>aid propogation which seems to be struggling.]
>
>In trying to figure out which lists were working, I noticed that there
>are now many more people on coderpunks and cryptography than there are
>on cypherpunks... take a look at these figures:
>
> 713 [email protected]
> 713 [email protected]
> 245 [email protected] + [email protected] - duplicates
>
>Seems to me many of the `cypherpunks' have become `careerpunks' and
>are now more interested in trading crypto tips, trade gossip, than in
>cypherpunks projects.
Interesting. I just made some similar remarks in my "Snickering at
Compromisers" article, which just went out as this one was coming in.
I know of a company most of whose employers met each other through the
Cypherpunks list. Yet the leader of this company announced that his was a
real company (which it surely is), "not just a Cypherpunks hobby."
This shows the disdain with which the Cypherpunks list is held by many
former members, who in fact had little or no interest in cryptography, and
why it is so important, prior to joining our list. Oh well, they got
educated, they formed companies, and now they are bemused that the
Cypherpunks list still exists.
To be fair to them, though, they are generally promoting the cause of
liberty and strong cryptography, and few if any former Cypherpunks are
actively supporting GAK or "key recovery" or other fascist policies.
As for the "success" of the other two list mentioned by Adam, fine, good
for them. Both are "moderated" or at least semi-moderated lists. I won't
post to either of them, not wanting either Perry Metzger or Futplex to have
control over my articles. (And, interestingly, neither of them seems to
post to Cypherpunks, so I suppose it all works out.)
The instability of the Cypherpunks address, with the obvious change from
toad.com to various other addresses (algebra.com, cyberpass.net, and even
ssz), obviously did not help.
Increasing list subscribership has never really been a priority to most of
us, anyway.
But, fact is, Adam is right that many former list members are now much more
interested in "moderated" discussions of "moderate" topics, all in
"moderation."
To each their own.
--Tim May
There's something wrong when I'm a felon under an increasing number of laws.
Only one response to the key grabbers is warranted: "Death to Tyrants!"
---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,
[email protected] 408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA | knowledge, reputations, information markets,
Higher Power: 2^1398269 | black markets, collapse of governments.
"National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."