From: Bryan Moss (bryan.moss@dial.pipex.com)
Date: Wed Sep 02 1998 - 15:19:08 MDT
John K Clark wrote:
> That's the fatal flaw in Brin's idea, he doesn't
> like encryption but he never makes clear exactly
> how he plans to stop people from using it.
Here's the plan:
A student at Temple University buys Brin's book
thinking its science fiction; he doesn't discover
that it is, in fact, speculative non-fiction until
he reaches page 296. (Bare with me here - I'm
trying to establish a scenario in which someone
would willingly read the entire book.) Stunned by
the validity of Brin's claims he decides to print
a story on the righteousness of being open in a
university journal. The journal reaches an
audience of several hundred thousand, who in turn
tell others. By August 29th 1999 the
anti-encryption movement has over 14 million
members. That day they meet in Washington DC to
cast of the shackles of security and burn their
private keys. Within a month the movement has
grown to some 100 million, and Internet users now
freely post their credit card numbers to alt.2600
in an act of rebellion. By 2010, despite the fact
that economists had proved Brin's theory false 11
years ago, the Openness Policy has been adopted by
the government; and free love has been declared in
the white house. Only a small group of backwards
thinking people retains their privacy. At first
these "Clarktarians" accuse the others of
stupidity, but soon they realise their own power
and begin building an underground network. In the
year 2012 the Clarktarians overthrow the
government and establish a brutal capitalist
regime.
Next week: Find out how the fearless Clarktarian
leader, John K. Clark, changes David Brin's mind
armed only with a copy of The Transparent Society.
("Not so transparent now, is it Brin?")
BM
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