Re: [Sheflug] EU, Free Software and Echelon

[Will Newton <nospam [at] misconception.org.uk>]

On Fri, 25 May 2001, Barrie Bremner wrote:

> This is rather odd - OK, so M$ have had variables named foo_NSA - but
> if the NSA are after accessing everyone's files, what on Earth are
> they doing pouring money into SE Linux - and Open Sourcing the lot?

If you read a reasoned analysis (as done by Bruce Schneier -
www.counterpane.com) then it seems like the NSA_KEY thing was unlikely a
security problem.

> I'm quite surprised PGP hasn't taken off more - what with all the
> ranting about Microsoft's wonderfully free (not!) EULAs for online
> services, and all this government conspiricy malarky.

It needs a "killer app". Nobody really needs encryption for their average
stuff, e.g. mail to this list. Encryption will only really take off in
restrictive regimes where people need it.

> As an aside, I see a research arm of M$ have released a GPL IPng/IPv6
> webserver!

MS Research have done/bought some cool stuff e.g. Haskell guru Simon
Peyton-Jones. It's just sad when you realise most of this stuff will never
see the light of day because it is not part of Chairman Bill's vision.


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