Since the cartels and governments control the current infrastructure, we need to build our own. Even though we can encrypt information, we cannot hipe the source and destination ip addressses on the networks. Knowing who a person talks to by tracing their ip address gives the Gestapo very valuable information. I don’t want the Gestapo to posses it. So, anything I have to shield from the Gestapo does not get transmitted over the Internet.

If you want to send virtually untraceable info, (at the moment) encrypt it on a CD and mail it from a public mailbox.

I’m fascinated to know how this will work in relation to (mainly) p2p programs such as Skype which also have encryption. I can understand a wiretap on POTS end points such as Skype-IN and Skype-Out. But tapping a pc-to-pc call is going to be hard without a backdoor and it will involve mirroring the call to a 3rd party which is going to be hard to hide. And then, Skype has encryption with all the right buzzwords but without peer review of the code, we have no way of knowing if the implementation is any good.

If backdoors are required, then this is another nail in the coffin of general purpose computing. It’s going to be very hard to enforce the back door without the support of MS, Apple, and Intel backed up with DMCA-style legislation in exactly the same way as with DRM.

Then there’s the jurisdiction problem. You have an American calling a Brit using a bit of software written in Estonia and distributed by a company with a shell owner in Luxembourg. All this sort of legislation will ensure is that Skype’s VCs will have to give up on a NASDAQ or a US buyout exit route. Great, create legislation to reject foreign capital. Good plan!

All in all it’s the usual crock of shit except it’s being justified by “the war on Terraaah” as well as propping up dinosaur business models. The dinosaurs this time being the incumbent telcos.

So in an attempt to *allegedly* “fight the net nasties” they’re going to make everybody a lot *MORE* vulnerable to the net nasties…

Yay team. Way to go.

This is of course typical of how bureacracy’s function. In futile attempts to “improve things” they always make them a bucketload worse. Just wait until the US follows the UK lead and implements an id card. Then watch identity theft go up faster than the shuttle.

For one, its got to screw up bandwidth… and its a complete invasion of privacy!

Boycott!

I’m boycotting this, and I boycott any ISP that doesn’t put up a fight to keep their users annoymous!

For any situation or problem, ask yourself the following questions (don’t get lost in the phony excuses given to you):

(1) Who has the most to GAIN (or in relative terms, who loses the least)?

(2) Who has the ABILITY and ACCESS to carry the act(s)?

(3) How exactly is the act being CARRIED OUT?

Doing so will illuminate many, many misunderstandings!