Anonymity Snake Oil in JXTA

[jamesd@echeque.com]

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On 29 Jun 2001, at 10:44, Pete Chown wrote:

> Ben Laurie wrote:
>
> > JXTA (http://www.jxta.org/) claims to have a payment project which will
> > "implement anonymous and secure financial transactions". ...
>
> I had an idea about micropayment protocols the other day.  The usual
> "micropayments" business plan says that company X will establish
> itself as a bank and take money from everyone wanting to make
> payments.  Then it will lock everyone into its payment protocol and so
> make lots of money.
>
> I was thinking about a different approach that is more decentralised.
> Suppose Alice, Bob and Charlie do business with each other.  When it
> is time to settle up, it is found that Alice owes Bob and Charlie $1
> each.  Bob also owes Charlie $1.

Critical mass problem.  Such a system is only useful if a large proportion of transactions occur within the group of people using it.

So you need a nucleus group that is small enough that they can all agree to start using it, and large enough for it to be useful.

Perhaps people smurfing money in columbia might form such a group.
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         James A. Donald
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