-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
On Thu, 25 Oct 2001, Bryan Moss wrote:
> There's a bigger issue here that I rarely see addressed and
> that is: "copying" files on a computer network is a silly idea
> to begin with. Current file systems are a result of the
> massive latency of older networks - i.e., trading media such
> as floppy disks, CD-ROMs, etc. Right now we're stuck in
> limbo; we threw out the physical media but forgot to throw out
> the physical media metaphor. Copying information on a network
> is hack for controlling the availability of information; this
> is something that should be controlled dynamically according
> to demand, bandwidth, latency, etc. This entire issue comes
> down to who gets access to what, not who copies what. To my
> mind, *access control should be in the hands of the creator,*
> I should be able to state, for example, who can view, edit,
> annotate, cite, and quote my documents; if I should ask money
> in return for these priviledges, so be it.
You can only have two robust levels of access control-- stuff that
provably only you can see... and stuff that everyone can potentially
see. Once you reveal a secret to one other user, the genie is out of
the bottle and you have no guarantee that they will not spread it to
every single person on earth. Any coercive means you employ to prevent
the spread of your secret can only delay it. None can stop it with any
degree of certainty.
- --
* I believe that the majority of the world's Muslims are good, *
* honorable people. If you are a Muslim and want to reassure me and *
* others that you are part of this good, honorable majority, all *
* you need to say are nine simple words: "I OPPOSE the Wahhabi cult *
* and its Jihad." *
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: PGP 6.5.8
iQBoAwUBO9i7/ZvUJaRNHMexAQFUZQKWLD/wJ2YJacMM30xFAFenVpxeTyn+9VXd
dJH+BKc4ajtD+5y5CvUo391VpkJl/e2pFRrN+1dv+Rc8jmKiLmmzXc/JStBhAB6v
wvnADuaVJewUGXE=
=Z16Y
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Sat May 11 2002 - 17:44:16 MDT