ietf-asrg
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[Asrg] HashCash

2004-04-28 14:59:52
How about figuring out a robust hashcash and signature mechanism, and 
considering how well it would work, including the possibility of third 
parties selling hashcash as a form of decentralised e-postage.  There's 
already some work in this area, which can be built upon, but a summary 
of this would be useful.

Oh, and I think I've figured out a way to do signatures without 
involving the message content (which is liable to change in transit 
under various circumstances).  It ties in neatly with hashcash.  :)

Simply put, since the hashcash must be unique per message, do the 
signature on the hashcash rather than the message itself.  For messages 
which don't require high-value hashcash due to whitelisting, generate a 
trivial (say 8-bit) unique hashcash and use that for the signature.

Hashcash and signatures are non-starters (or deserve to be) for the simple and 
immutable reason that compromised spambot zombies will pump out large numbers 
of 
hashcash-certified, signature-carrying spams.

AGAIN, THIS DOES NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM.  It only makes the system more 
complicated and expensive.



Gordon Peterson                  http://personal.terabites.com/
1977-2002  Twenty-fifth anniversary year of Local Area Networking!
Support free and fair US elections!  http://stickers.defend-democracy.org
12/19/98: Partisan Republicans scornfully ignore the voters they "represent".
12/09/00: the date the Republican Party took down democracy in America.



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