Remailer Unreliability

What if it was possible to specify an alternate remailer?  In the case that
a remailer went down, you could specify an alternate.  For example:

::
Anon-To: remailer@foo.com
Alternate-To: remailer@bar.com

::
Encrypted: PGP

---pgp msg---

If foo.com was down, the message would be delivered to bar.com instead.
The PGP message would have to be readable to both of them, so it would
decrease security, but reliability would be better, especially for
reply blocks.  Comments?

> 
> What if it was possible to specify an alternate remailer?  In the case that
> a remailer went down, you could specify an alternate.  For example:
> 
[ Snip! ]
> 
> If foo.com was down, the message would be delivered to bar.com instead.
> The PGP message would have to be readable to both of them, so it would
> decrease security, but reliability would be better, especially for
> reply blocks.  Comments?
> 
Hmmm. Not as secure, but how about this... (a kind of script)

begin A
  if active(mailer@foo.com) mail(mailer@foo.com,B,C)
  elseif active(mailer@bar.com) mail(mailer@bar.com,B,C)
end

begin B
 { next block of scripts for chain... remailer would encrypt B and C
 blocks for appropriate mailer }
end

begin C
 { this block would be cargo... could even contain multiple messages? }
end

That's a pseudoscript, but you get the idea... (no pun intended ;)

> Date: Thu, 2 Feb 95 18:00 EST
> From: nobody@myriad.pc.cc.cmu.edu (Anonymous)
> 
> What if it was possible to specify an alternate remailer?  In the case that
> a remailer went down, you could specify an alternate.  For example:

  Well, *I* think it is a good idea.  But how does remailer1 know that
remailer2 is both a remailer and down?

  Noyb