RE: Postcard Debates

If everyone just encrypted their messages then no suspicions would be raised
regarding the use of encryption.  Most people use envelopes, plain and
simple -- and as a result no one questions what they are hiding.  It's
understood that mail is private and therefore people have a right to seal it
in an envelope and not worry about people tampering with it.  On the same
note, there are federal regulations and penalties (in the U.S. anyway) for
tampering with mail and interrupting the delivery of it.  The same laws
should apply to email.

____________________________________________________
Jamie R. Wilson                     



-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Wenzler [mailto:rwenzler@usachoice.com]
Sent: Thursday, 10 December, 1998 13:56
To: Mbishop645@aol.com
Cc: maven@weirdness.com; hab@gamegirlz.com; Cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: 




Mbishop645@aol.com wrote:
> 
> >HaB wrote:
> ><snip>
> >>     That's a good place to begin, though.  "Would you send a letter to
> >> someone without an envelope?"  "Then why not put your email in the
> >> electronic equivalent of one?"
> >>
> >> balance.
> >
> >Would I send a letter to someone without an envelope?
> >One word: postcard.
> 
> Ahh, but would you tape a check for your phone bill to a postcard? Other
> than writing a greeting to someone what else do you use a postcard for?

No, I would not tape a phone bill check to a postcard. There is the 
chance for it to fall off.

There is different methods of sending mail for different levels of
security and functionality. Some people make it obvious what is inside
an envelope. (who would not recognize a Christmas card from the
envelope?) Others make it as bland and normal as possible to
have it go by without much notice.

It all depends on how secure you want it. Some things you can do
with what amounts to postcard security.

What amount of security do you want for your email? Would you be
willing to do something extra for that security?

This type of question is up to each person. How much risk is the
person willing to take. Each person has the responsibility to
understand what the risks are and to decide what risks they are
willing to take.

"Wilson, Jamie (J.R.)" wrote:
> 
> If everyone just encrypted their messages then no suspicions would be raised
> regarding the use of encryption.  Most people use envelopes, plain and
> simple -- and as a result no one questions what they are hiding.  It's
> understood that mail is private and therefore people have a right to seal it
> in an envelope and not worry about people tampering with it.  On the same
> note, there are federal regulations and penalties (in the U.S. anyway) for
> tampering with mail and interrupting the delivery of it.  The same laws
> should apply to email.

Right. If everyone used encryption, there would not as much public
debate about it.

For now, it is not commonly used and viewed as secrative.

Now for a general question to all that may read this: How much are
you willing to do something to change the laws?
However much people are willing to stick up for this issue is the
amount things could change.

This would open the door for the USPS to charge for each email sent. 
The same rules? No. Based on those rules, but not the same rules.
The same rules would slow email down considerably also, wouldn't they???<g>

Reeza!



At 08:41 AM 12/11/98 -0500, Wilson, Jamie (J.R.) wrote:
>If everyone just encrypted their messages then no suspicions would be raised
>regarding the use of encryption.  Most people use envelopes, plain and
>simple -- and as a result no one questions what they are hiding.  It's
>understood that mail is private and therefore people have a right to seal it
>in an envelope and not worry about people tampering with it.  On the same
>note, there are federal regulations and penalties (in the U.S. anyway) for
>tampering with mail and interrupting the delivery of it.  The same laws
>should apply to email.
>
>____________________________________________________
>Jamie R. Wilson                     
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Robert Wenzler [mailto:rwenzler@usachoice.com]
>Sent: Thursday, 10 December, 1998 13:56
>To: Mbishop645@aol.com
>Cc: maven@weirdness.com; hab@gamegirlz.com; Cypherpunks@toad.com
>Subject: Re: 
>
>
>
>
>Mbishop645@aol.com wrote:
>> 
>> >HaB wrote:
>> ><snip>
>> >>     That's a good place to begin, though.  "Would you send a letter to
>> >> someone without an envelope?"  "Then why not put your email in the
>> >> electronic equivalent of one?"
>> >>
>> >> balance.
>> >
>> >Would I send a letter to someone without an envelope?
>> >One word: postcard.
>> 
>> Ahh, but would you tape a check for your phone bill to a postcard? Other
>> than writing a greeting to someone what else do you use a postcard for?
>
>No, I would not tape a phone bill check to a postcard. There is the 
>chance for it to fall off.
>
>There is different methods of sending mail for different levels of
>security and functionality. Some people make it obvious what is inside
>an envelope. (who would not recognize a Christmas card from the
>envelope?) Others make it as bland and normal as possible to
>have it go by without much notice.
>
>It all depends on how secure you want it. Some things you can do
>with what amounts to postcard security.
>
>What amount of security do you want for your email? Would you be
>willing to do something extra for that security?
>
>This type of question is up to each person. How much risk is the
>person willing to take. Each person has the responsibility to
>understand what the risks are and to decide what risks they are
>willing to take.
>
>
>

On Sat, 12 Dec 1998, Reeza! wrote:

>> Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1998 11:50:57 +1000
>> From: Reeza! <howree@cable.navy.mil>
>> To: "cypherpunks@toad.com" <cypherpunks@toad.com>
>> Subject: RE: Postcard Debates
>> 
>> This would open the door for the USPS to charge for each email sent. 
>> The same rules? No. Based on those rules, but not the same rules.
>> The same rules would slow email down considerably also, wouldn't they???<g>
>> 
>> Reeza!

Funny you should mention the USPS and email.  I was browsing through 
the latest issue of PC WEEK (12-07-98), and noticed the following 
paragraph in Spencer Katt's column "Rumor Central" on page 178 - 

     "A self-proclaimed 'project mis-manager' was chatting with a 
buddy who's done some development work for the U.S. Postal Service.
His pal was talking about a new project in which the USPS will 
accept electronic documents, merge them with a mailing list, print
them at the post office branch closest to the destination of each
document's recipient and deliver them for less than the price of a 
snail mail stamp.  The kicker: Microsoft is considering an add-in
that will put a USPS 'Mail' button in Office 2000 for directly
linking to the service."


it's pure evil.

Regards,

Ken Williams

Packet Storm Security        http://www.Genocide2600.com/~tattooman/
E.H.A.P. Head of Operations  http://www.ehap.org/   ehap@ehap.org
NC State CS Dept  http://www.csc.ncsu.edu/   jkwilli2@unity.ncsu.edu
PGP DSS/DH/RSA Keys          http://www4.ncsu.edu/~jkwilli2/pgpkey/

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