🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Oct27.035727.10043@netcom.com> tcmay@netcom.com (Timothy C. May) writes:

>Ultimately, though, the technology will be too hard to control. But
>the next 20 years could be dicey.


I believe that the technology is already too hard to control but that gives
me no comfort.	

We have corporations monitoring keystrokes to measure productivity -- and
getting away with it (BTW, Stratus doesn't engage in such hideous
behavior).  There are security cameras in my company's building.  What's to
stop the spooks from establishing a right to tap into the security cameras
and the keystroke monitors, if any?

We aren't specially blessed here in the USA.  Watergate should have proved
that.  We could easily become a society in which all computation equipment
has to be registered with the FBI -- proved incapable of providing signal
security or equipped with a tapping port.

Don't forget the (ex-?) director of the NSA saying recently that he considers
good encryption to be strictly munitions -- something to be kept out of the
hands of the civilians.

But, you might argue, if the US Govt were to take such a stupid move,
it would cripple computing in this country and put us at a solid disadvantage.
[sound like the export law discussion?]

No, they would reply -- have all the security you like -- just give us the
keys.  We'll promise not to use them.  You can trust us.




The issue is philosophical.  Do we have a right to keep secrets from the
US Government or don't we?

-- 
-- <<Disclaimer: All opinions expressed are my own, of course.>>
-- Carl Ellison						cme@sw.stratus.com
-- Stratus Computer Inc.	M3-2-BKW		TEL: (508)460-2783
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