16.21.1. Consider the "law" based approach
- a discussion group that wants no men involved ("a protected
space for womyn")
- so they demand the civil law system enforce their rules
- practical example: sysadmins yank accounts when
"inappropriate posts" are made
- the C&S case of spamming is an example
- Note: The Net as currently constituted is fraught with
confusion about who owns what, about what are public and
what are private resources, and about what things are
allowed. If Joe Blow sends Suzy Creamcheese an "unwanted"
letter, is this "abuse" or "harassement"? Is it stealing
Suzy's resources? (In my opinion, of course not, but I
agree that things are confusing.)
16.21.2. The technological approach:
- spaces created by crypto...unbreachable walls
+ example: a mailing list with controls on membership
- could require nomination and vouching for by others
- presentation of some credential (signed by someone), e.g.
of femaleness
- pay as you go stops spamming
16.21.3. This is a concrete example of how crypto acts as a kind of
building material
- and why government limitations on crypto hurt those who
wish to protect their own spaces
- a private mailing list is a private space, inaccessible to
those outside
- "There are good engineering approaches which can force data
to behave itself. Many of them involve cryptography. Our
government's restrictions on crypto limit our ability to
build reliable computer systems. We need strong crypto for
basic engineering reasons." [Kent Borg, "Arguing Crypto:
The Engineering Approach," 1994-06-29]
16.21.4. Virtual Communities-the Use of Virtual Networks to Avoid
Government
- that is, alternatives to creating new countries (like the
Minerva project)
- the Assassin cult/sect in the mountains of Syria, Iraq,
Afghanistan, etc. had a network of couriers in the mountain
fastnessess
- pirate communities, networks of trading posts and watering
holes, exempt-if only for a few years-from the laws of the
imperial powers
16.21.5. These private spaces will, as technology makes them more
"livable" (I don't mean in a full sense, so don't send me
notes about how "you can't eat cyberspace"), become full-
functioned "spaces" that are outside the reach of
governments. A new frontier, untouchable by outside, coercive
governments.
- Vinge's "True Names" made real
16.21.6. "Can things really develop in this "cyberspace" that so many
of us talk about?"
- "You can't eat cyberspace!' is the usual point made. I
argue, however, that abstract worlds have always been with
us, in the forms of commerce, reputations, friends, etc.
And this will continue.
- Some people have objected to the sometimes over-
enthusiastic claims that economies and socities will
flourish in computer-mediated cyberspaces. The short form
of the objection is: "You can't eat cyberspace." Meaning,
that profits and gains made in cyberspace must be converted
to real world profits and gains.
- In "Snow Crash," this was made out to be difficult...Hiro
Protagonist was vastly wealthy in the Multiverse, but lived
in a cargo container at LAX in the "real world." A fine
novel, but this idea is screwy.
+ There are many ways to transfer wealth into the "real"
world:
+ all the various money-laundering schemes
- money in offshore accounts, accessible for vacations,
visits, etc.
- phony purchase orders
- my favorite: Cyberspace, Inc. hires one as a
"consultant" (IRS cannot and does not demand proof of
work being done, the nature of the work, one's
qualifications to perform the work, etc....In fact,
many consultants are hired "on retainer," merely to be
available should a need arise.)
- information-selling
- investments
-
16.21.7. Protocols for this are far from complete
- money, identity, walls, structures
- a lot of basic work is needed (though people will pursue it
locally, not after the work is done...so solutions will
likely be emergent)
By Tim May, see README
HTML by Jonathan Rochkind