Status of Cryptography Research in implementation of the EUCD

[Owen Lewis]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: ukcrypto-admin@chiark.greenend.org.uk
> [mailto:ukcrypto-admin@chiark.greenend.org.uk]On Behalf Of Adrian
> Midgley
> Sent: 15 August 2002 01:10
> To: ukcrypto@chiark.greenend.org.uk
> Subject: Re: Status of Cryptography Research in implementation of the
> EUCD
>
>
> It isn't a single reputable and careful researcher publishing fact that
> causes adverse consequences, it is the use of minority reports as
> major news
> items by a multitude of hacks that causes it.

Usually so, I agree.

> THis is very very unlike the situation in computer security.

How so? Every time Y jumps up and down, waves his arms and says he's found
another esoteric hole in MS's massive Gruyere cheese, it is commonly
reported in the newspapers, let alone the computer mags. Who benefits? Y;
the press who fill their space. MS? possible in this example because special
factors apply. User's of the cheese? Not so's you'd notice. And Joe Soap
could not care less.

The fact is that anyone with any sense knows that the Gruyere has holes. The
fact remains that it works pretty well most of the time (like your car and
mine) and for those in businesses where file exchange is important or else
they need to make software for a market that largely runs the Gruyere OS,
they are going to stay with the Gruyere how ever much Y jumps up and down.
Making software to work with Gruyere is actually quite helpful, the elephant
of the OS actually does a lot of useful work for one, keeping one's own code
much smaller and less complex than it would otherwise need to be.

The logic is plain and has nothing to do with brand loyalty. They will stick
with honeycombed Gruyere until the bulk of the market moves on to something
else. When the balance of advantage shifts, so will they.

Again. This is a special case. The trouble with this discussion in general
is that it is seemingly impossible to find a general rule and so one needs
to return to basic principles to evaluate the push and pull of the
protagonist parties and the officering of examples that they hope will serve
their case.

Owen
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