On Sun, 25 Jun 2000, Don Davis wrote:
> i'm sorry, but this is a foolish complaint. their specialty
> is as demanding as ours; why demand that they should master
> our specialty, when we make no effort to master theirs, and
'You may abuse a tragedy, though you cannot write one. You may scold a
carpenter who has made you a bad table, though you cannot make a table. It
is not your trade to make tables.' (Samuel Johnson)
> when we make no effort to help them understand crypto? all
> we've had to say to legislators and regulators is, "don't
> regulate crypto, leave us alone," and then surprise, surprise:
> even when we might want them to support crypto with laws,
> they don't know enough about crypto to be able to regulate
> it.
There are several members of this list, and many specialists in security,
who have written papers for Congress, offered testimony, appeared before
committees, etc. Not all of this testimony has been negative, and much of
it has been even-handed and informative.
>
> if we are successful in making crypto that's usable enough to
> become pervasive, then industry and the public will need new
> laws to help resolve social conflicts involving crypto, such
> as inevitably will arise. thus, it's our responsibility to
> help advise legislators constructively on cryptographic and
> security matters, but the civilian crypto community has quite
> consistently rejected and ridiculed every governmental foray
> into cryptographic legislation. indeed, the crypto community
> goes further, by ridiculing any cryptographer or security
> expert who supports legislative efforts. we're the ones who
> have screwed this up, not the legislators or their staffers.
>
>
> - don davis, boston
>
I think the crypto community has made considerable contributions to the
civil debate, especially relating to the Clipper Chip and key escrow, and
some members of the community regularly offer comments and advice. Some of
the papers written and talks given have been cogent and insightful, not at
all negative or harsh in tone or sentiment. If the staff of major House
and Senate Committees can't be bothered to ask the appropriate questions,
or are too lazy or otherwise co-opted to seek the input of consumer
advocates on this type of legislation, then I think they and their bosses
have screwed this up.
In my experience as a staff attorney to legislative committees, I found it
relatively easy to identify and contact people from expert communities to
assist me in my work. That was what I was paid for.
