[perpass] commentariat (was: Re: SMTP and SRV records)

[Stephen Farrell <[e-mail]>]

subject line change...

On 25/11/15 13:28, Robin Wilton wrote:
> I’m sure I’m not the only one who has been depressed by a lot of the
> public discourse on this topic (present list definitely excepted!),
> and the lack of clarity/understanding demonstrated by much of it
> (this being a lamentable case in point:
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/12008689/Why-is-Silicon-Valley-helping-the-tech-savvy-jihadists.html
> ).

While I agree that that kind of article is a pain, it's entirely
predictable, partly understandable but IMO, as it's an attempt to
defy logic and what are basically laws of physics (crytpo is just
math in the end and the rest is a mere matter of programming), it
is also bound to fail, in most places and for most of the time.

We and others have written about why such ideas are wrong,
and will continue to do so, but I don't think we should worry
too much about every single flurry of articles like that. And
there will be such a flurry after every unfortunate or
deplorable incident, as that is also in the nature of things.

But, just to take one example, I'd bet the UK govt will wise up
somewhat when they finally get that they risk exporting their
financial services industry if they muck with crypto in the ways
that article would indicate. (I had a chat with some Irish
industrial dev. types, and that was the angle that most interested
them:-)

Cheers,
S.

PS: And anyway it's the telegraph - did we expect tech clue? :-)