List Archive (Was: Re: p2p, anonymity and security)

[Kenneth E. Lussier]

On Fri, 2004-03-12 at 07:19, Travis Roy wrote:
> > Then I suggest you look at the archives of some mailing list software
> > mailing lists...  The idea is often brought up there, for the very
> > same reasons I brought them up here (originally).  Personally, I find
> > the notion that I should be required to provide personally identifying
> > information to the whole world in order to participate in a public
> > forum to be offensive, and contrary to the priciples by which the
> > United States of America was founded.  It does not need to be, and
> > should not be so.  That so few people value their 4th amendment right
> > to privacy is a travesty.
> 
> If that is true, perhaps you shouldn't have your webpage address in 
> your sig:
> 
> [dslv-1-175:~] travis% whois pizzashack.org
> 

I have stayed out of this until now, as I don't really care all that
much about the public or private status of the GNHLUG list. I actually
thought that it was a closed list to keep RMS from posting rants about
how it should be called GNHG/LUG ;-)

However, I think that the posting of the whois information was not only
unnecessary, but completely inappropriate to the discussion. It does,
however, bring up a good point that is currently being debated: How
public should the whois database be? Does anyone really need to know
where Derek lives? Should it be common knowledge that Travis is in
apartment 4T? And, more importantly, why was all of this information
made to be public to begin with? Even the most simple minded can look up
whois data and abuse it.  And anyone with malicious intent can take it
further and use that information for harassment, or more nefarious
things. 

So, mailing lists aside, just how much privacy are we *FORCED* to give
up to participate in this whackey little thing that we called the
internet? And who decides what amount of lost privacy is ok? 

C-Ya,
Kenny



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