Re: Java (was Netscape: the big win)

>  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?

How about the old-standbys:  remailers.  Mixmaster is definitely where the  
technology is at, but it requires a client to use...  Of course, with Java,  
there is the potential that _any_ user from any platform could connect to the  
Mixmaster Web page, get the client software, and start using the remailer  
network.  Without having to compile, know anything, etc...

If a Mixmaster client were available in Java (and I'm pretty sure it can be  
done) then suddenly everyone who previously could only use the penet server  
can now also use Mixmaster.  With more people using the remailer network, all  
of them with Java clients, the possibility of for-pay remailers could become  
reality (no promises that you'll get rich though).

There are many crypto-anarchy applications as well:

Key cracking.  If you can write a key-cracker and keyspace fetcher in Java,  
then people can join key cracking efforts as easily looking up an URL.  It  
may not be nearly as efficient as the highly optimized C versions used in the  
current RC4-40 efforts, but there's going to be millions of potential workers  
this way.  If you were charging money to break keys (or you were looking for  
keys that are very valuable to you), you could set up the worker client to  
accept e-cash for in return for searching keyspace "Click here to earn money  
while you aren't using your machine..."   Ensuring that workers are actually  
searching the keyspace and other implementation details is left as an  
exercise for the reader.

e-instrument or information exchanges, with Java interfaces for bidding,  
buying, selling, etc...

DataHavens, which would probably require complex (internally) software to use.

I'm sure the online casino people are salivating over the prospects too...

Basically any fancy crypto application that requires a custom client to  
operate...  Since its platform independent, efforts will be put to better use  
as well.


andrew

On Fri, 21 Jul 1995, Andrew Loewenstern wrote:

> If a Mixmaster client were available in Java (and I'm pretty sure it can be  
> done) then suddenly everyone who previously could only use the penet server  
> can now also use Mixmaster.  With more people using the remailer network, all  
> of them with Java clients, the possibility of for-pay remailers could become  
> reality (no promises that you'll get rich though).

The problem, Java only runs on a pretty restricted set of software.  I 
don't have to be running Solaris to take advantage of penet.
--
Ed Carp, N7EKG    			Ed.Carp@linux.org, ecarp@netcom.com
801/534-8857 voicemail			801/460-1883 digital pager
Finger ecarp@netcom.com for PGP 2.5 public key		an88744@anon.penet.fi

Q.	What's the trouble with writing an MS-DOS program to emulate Clinton?
A.	Figuring out what to do with the other 639K of memory.

[I've cc:ed this to the Mixmaster development list --Futplex]

Andrew Loewenstern writes:
> If a Mixmaster client were available in Java (and I'm pretty sure it can be  
> done) then suddenly everyone who previously could only use the penet server  
> can now also use Mixmaster.  With more people using the remailer network, 
> all of them with Java clients, the possibility of for-pay remailers could
> become reality (no promises that you'll get rich though).

Ed Carp writes:
# The problem, Java only runs on a pretty restricted set of software.  I 
# don't have to be running Solaris to take advantage of penet.

True, but an important part of the promise of Java is that many people are
AFAIK actively working on porting it to most major platforms. Right now it
apparently runs only on Solaris 2.3+ and Win NT 3.5. However, Sun is working
on porting it to Win `95 and Mac System 7.5. I assume other people are
trying to port it to other Unices. I recognize that this is RSN again, but
I believe there is reason for optimism in this case.

I'm getting extremely interested in porting the Mixmaster client to Java.
Doug Barnes' enthusiasm at the last BA phys. mtg. has proven infectious,
with a delayed reaction in my case ;).  I plan to say more about this
notion on mix-l within the next few days.

-Futplex <futplex@pseudonym.com>