Re: Nym Server Development....

(I've removed these from this folllow-up: remailer-operators@c2.org,
nyms@sephiroth.org, alt.privacy.anon-server@canaima.ME.berkeley.edu)

At 2:04 AM 8/12/95, Bryan Strawser wrote:
>John Fleming, along with a bit of support help from myself, is developing
>a nym server that he is intending to release to the public once we are
>satisfied with the performance and the state of the code.

What is your working definition of "nym server"?


>At this point and time, John has pushed the code to the point where we
>have am experimental nym server operating that is being constantly
>refined and features added. Along the same lines, I am presently
>working on solid documentation for when the nymserver is ready for
>public use, and for the later public release of the code.
>
>John created a mailing list for those interesting in contributing to the
>development of his nymserver and as a forum for discussion of nymserver
>related issues.  So far, there have been few folks subscribed, and no
>answer from those that are presently subscribed to the list.  I find
>this rather disappointing.

Maye there's little interest because I can't find any threads that discuss
just what a "nym server" is. I can make some guesses as to what _I_ might
call a nym server, but there are some important issues (of who keeps the
records, and why a nym server is better than just using unforgeable sigs,
etc.) that need discussing.


>that are running today.  Just like the other types of anonymity out
>there, a nymserver has many viable reasons for existance.  The lack of
>publically available code for such a server, as there is for remailers,
>should motivate us to get behind John and his efforts.

Why should we get behind an effort that has not been spelled out or
discussed here? Maybe I'm missing the debate in the groups I deleted (see
above), but I really don't know what it's about.

>To subscribe to the nymserver development & discussion forum, send
>a message to majordomo@sephiroth.org with the line "subscribe nyms
><your name>" in the body of the message.  Questions about the
>nymserver should be directed to that list so that all can be involved
>in the development.

Sorry, Bryan, but I don't typically join mailing lists so I can find out
what the subject of a mailing list is! :-}

Describe for us what you have in mind for "nym servers" and why they are
important, then maybe more folks will get involved.

--Tim May

---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
Timothy C. May            | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,
tcmay@got.net (Got net?)  | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
408-728-0152              | knowledge, reputations, information markets,
Corralitos, CA            | black markets, collapse of governments.
Higher Power: 2^756839    | Public Key: PGP and MailSafe available.
"National borders are just speed bumps on the information superhighway."

> 
> Describe for us what you have in mind for "nym servers" and why they are
> important, then maybe more folks will get involved.
> 

	I beleive that Bryan is referring to nym servers along the
lines of alpha and omega (.c2.org) The omega source isn't publically
available because frankly I'm pretty ashamed of how ugly and nasty the
program is (I wrote it more than a year ago, and my "improvement" in
my perl programming skill shows if you compare that code with code
I've written lately in perl). I'm not sure why the alpha source isn't
available, as it isn't my server. (It runs on my ISP because Matt
Ghio, who runs it, has an account here)

	The alpha and omega servers share the fact that someone can
register a nym anonymously and give the server an
encrypted-reply-block rather than a real email address. This is secure
to the court-order form of attack against the anonymous identity, as
opposed to the penet server, which is not secure against court-order
attack. (There is still very much work that needs to be done towards
defeating replay & traffic analysis attacks on anonymous forwarders on
the server)


-- 
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