🚀 go-pugleaf

markh@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Mark) writes:
>   Supposing I have a complete description of DES in text form, and I split it
>into 8 parts, with file N containing every 8th character modulo N.
>
>   If 100 people each decide to post one of these files (they make a random
>choice without knowing about the other 99 people even being there), and posts
>it to a place that can be publically accessed outside the US, then have any
>restrictions on DES been violated?  If so, who violated them?  How?

Don't be silly.  If transmitting a complete description of DES is against some
law (which it is not, according to recent discussions; flames to /dev/null),
then participating in a transmission violates that same law even if your part
is not sufficient to complete the act by itself.  The only use of one of the
eight portions is to reconstruct the original file, so the poster is obviously
intended that the original file be reconstructed.

Are armed robbery laws unsound because one person can point the gun and another
can shout "give me all your money"?  How about the fact that ten people could
agree that they will each randomly decide which of these roles to play without
discussing it with each other, but they'll show up at the same place at the
same time (post via the same medium)?  (Or to make the analogy complete, you
advertise in a newspaper for people to do this, so that no one can be
ABSOLUTELY sure that the others will show up, but it's clear for some reason in
your town that the community mind is such that it would be extremely unlikely
for no one to be interested.)

Don't try to tell me that it would just be coincidence that all 100 people
decided to post those files and that there was no exhortation on your part for
them to be posted.  It's not credible that you split up the file in that way
for no reason.

If you're interested in getting a description of DES out, simply post one.  Or
post a journal article reference.