Why "carnivore" type systems can't be (entirely) open source

[Owen Lewis]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Roland Perry" <roland@linx.net>
To: <ukcrypto@chiark.greenend.org.uk>
Sent: 09 February 2001 13:06
Subject: Re: Why "carnivore" type systems can't be (entirely) open source


> In article <002b01c0927f$f35af420$3e0a989e@eloka>, Owen Lewis
> <oml@eloka.demon.co.uk> writes
> >At the outset, GSM had two
> >marked advantages and one disadvantage vs TACS:
> >
> >        -    It gave privacy and much better security against fraud.
> >
> >        -    It was more prone to comms loss.
>
> I agree about the comms loss, but it had two other advantages:
>
> - You could make a call if there was coverage - Analogue was saturated
> in many places.
>
> - You could do CLI and data (either SMS or modem) - and early adopters
> like things like that.

At the outset, ISTR that data via GSM was as unusual as via modem? The early
adopters were those keenies who had been using custom tailored acoustic
couplers for years (probably running at 300 bps). Even now, datacom via GSM
is less than ideal. 9600 suks OK.

Owen