"Proprietary" internetworking protocols (was RE: The future will be easy to use )

Perry E. Metzger writes:
>attila writes:
>>figures. I'll give ipsec and ipsec-dev a look.  However, SUN does have
>>the power to make something happen on the high-power workstations, and the
>>fact they are making a portable package available in source code is
>>farther than anyone else has gone. 
>
>Unfortunately, an internetworking protocol used by only one vendor
>gets nowhere.

much other discussion ommitted...

I hate to quibble, but past experience may demonstrate this
to be inaccurate.  In particular, and most relevantly:

	NFS (Sun)
	SSL (Netscape)

Another internetworking protocol (IPX) gave Novell a good run.

The point is that a working implementation goes a long way for
people who want/need _something_ that works, NOW. Consider the
relative merits/success of S-HTTP and SSL.

ObCrypto: the POTP people are the Boston Internet Expo today and
tomorrow, and they have their "technical guy" who is supposed
to be answering questions. The nontechnical guy said they generate
random numbers using randomness taken from the text of the messages
being encrypted.

-pl
_Electronic Commerce_ (Charles River Media, available now)
pete@loshin.com

Both Netscape and Sun had a product that had a large number of seats. From what I 
have seen the POTP have diddly squat in the way of seats.

Looking at the market today it is clear that there are fewer oppotunities to do that 
type of roll out. Netscape and Sun were running just ahead of a market. Today I 
don't see how many people will want to abandon PGP for a product that is 
indistinguishable from smoke 'n mirrors.

	Phill

I have read that Visa intends to begin a digital cash system, 
using both discardable and recharable cards that would implement secure 
cash transations.  The system is now in use in Australia, and there are 
plans for use during the Olympic Games at Atlanta and a pilot project in 
Thailand.
	Does anybody know if this is truly "cash"?  Is is tracable, and 
what encryption does it use?

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I think the Visa stuff is basically stored value and 
rechargeable smart cards, not really ecash type money.  Supposedly
you'll be able to get a card with $10 or $20 on it and all the
vending machines and phones around the Olympic venues will be set
up to take the cards.  So to answer your questions, no it's not really
digital cash (like ecash); and yes I think it's probably traceable
to some extent (unless you buy stored value cards w/paper cash).

	First Union, the bank selling the cards, has a page on them:

http://www.firstunion.com/visacash/

	Low on the technical info, but they give an address to mail
questions to.

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