>>>>> "MJR" == Mark J Roberts <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
MJR> Not much compared to the many uses thought-criminals have for
MJR> anonymity.
I think you're totally wrong, man. As an American, I reserve a right
to privacy -- a right to say, "None of your fuckin' business." I don't
care if it's my credit card data or my opinion about the 49ers, I
expect to be able to keep what I want private, and to communicate what
I want to other people without snooping eyes getting all nosy.
Even people whose ideas are illegal aren't necessarily evil
themselves. The fact is that many of the people whose ideas have
shaped our world were persecuted for their beliefs in their own
time. These aren't perverts, terrorists, or serial killers -- they
were labor advocates, philosophers, feminists, scientists.
There is -plenty- of use for anonymity for those who may not be
"thought criminals" in the eyes of the law. For example, people with
unpopular political, sexual, or religious beliefs/practices can use
anonymity to express their ideas without putting themselves at social
or even physical risk.
It'd be interesting to make a list of famous people who published
works anonymously or pseudonymously in the past. I can think of a
couple right off:
- Ben Franklin
- L.L. Zamenhof
- The Marquis de Sade
- Lenin
- Deep Throat (from Watergate)
- Joe Klein ("Primary Colors")
Obviously, pseudonyms have been a majorly important part of computer
culture for years and years. BBS handles, AOL screen names, login IDs,
etc. People get up in arms when even their basic personal information
is leaked from Web sites to marketers or law enforcement.
Of course, anyone who uses a handle is a big loser. But still.
It'd probably be worth mentioning the most famous "anonymous",
Alcoholics Anonymous. People in AA don't give out last names, because
of the stigma attached to alcoholism. These aren't bomb-throwers and
pedophiles -- they're just people who need to talk to each other but
don't want their life ruined by being branded the town drunk.
As to crypto: Hooke's law was initially published as a cryptogram, and
not discovered for several years later. Leonardo Davinci kept all his
notes in cyphertext. Any other science published anonymously,
pseudonymously, cryptographically? I dunno.
Hmm... trying to think of other sympathetic historical figures who
communicated anonymously. The Underground Railroad?
It might be cool to have a page on FreenetProject.org that talks about
why anonymity is important.
~Mr. Bad
--
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Mr. Bad <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> | Pigdog Journal | http://pigdog.org/
"Your description of coffee is how you interpret Sex."
-- "Personality Quiz" chain letter
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