google groups users may not realize the fundamental differences between
the autonomous/decentralized usenet, versus the proprietary/centralized >alphabet/google corporation; the isolation of google groups from usenet >provides incentive for multitudes of google's users to seek free usenet
news servers, apps, and websites, that will help them to stay connected
D <J@M> wrote:
google groups users may not realize the fundamental differences between
the autonomous/decentralized usenet, versus the proprietary/centralized >>alphabet/google corporation; the isolation of google groups from usenet >>provides incentive for multitudes of google's users to seek free usenet >>news servers, apps, and websites, that will help them to stay connected
i do not have much to
add, but i admire the
spacing of your lines
On Thu, 15 Feb 2024 16:40:18 -0000 (UTC), steveo@panix.com (Steven M. O'Neill) wrote:
D <J@M> wrote:
google groups users may not realize the fundamental differences between >>>the autonomous/decentralized usenet, versus the proprietary/centralized >>>alphabet/google corporation; the isolation of google groups from usenet >>>provides incentive for multitudes of google's users to seek free usenet >>>news servers, apps, and websites, that will help them to stay connected
i do not have much to
add, but i admire the
spacing of your lines
old habit (was typesetter back in the day) . . . monospaced justification
google groups users may not realize the fundamental differences between
the autonomous/decentralized usenet, versus the proprietary/centralized alphabet/google corporation; the isolation of google groups from usenet provides incentive for multitudes of google's users to seek free usenet
news servers, apps, and websites, that will help them to stay connected
On Thu, 15 Feb 2024 15:55:11 +0100 (CET), D <J@M> said:
google groups users may not realize the fundamental differences between
the autonomous/decentralized usenet, versus the proprietary/centralized
alphabet/google corporation; the isolation of google groups from usenet
provides incentive for multitudes of google's users to seek free usenet
news servers, apps, and websites, that will help them to stay connected
Not gonna happen... trust me on this one.
They've gotten used to being breast-fed by Mother Google, and they will be
as helpless as infants once the milk supply dries up in a few days.
On Thu, 15 Feb 2024 15:55:11 +0100 (CET), D <J@M> said:
google groups users may not realize the fundamental differences between
the autonomous/decentralized usenet, versus the proprietary/centralized
alphabet/google corporation; the isolation of google groups from usenet
provides incentive for multitudes of google's users to seek free usenet
news servers, apps, and websites, that will help them to stay connected
Not gonna happen... trust me on this one.
They've gotten used to being breast-fed by Mother Google, and they will be
as helpless as infants once the milk supply dries up in a few days.
On Mon, 19 Feb 2024 09:09:25 +0000 (GMT), Stainless Steel Rat <Use-Author-Supplied-Address-Header@[127.1]> wrote:
On Thu, 15 Feb 2024 15:55:11 +0100 (CET), D <J@M> said:
google groups users may not realize the fundamental differences between
the autonomous/decentralized usenet, versus the proprietary/centralized
alphabet/google corporation; the isolation of google groups from usenet
provides incentive for multitudes of google's users to seek free usenet
news servers, apps, and websites, that will help them to stay connected
Not gonna happen... trust me on this one.
They've gotten used to being breast-fed by Mother Google, and they will be >> as helpless as infants once the milk supply dries up in a few days.
could be playing devil's advocate, but some of the more respectable news server administrators have maintained that there are at least a few what
they call "legit" (perhaps quasi-legitimate) google groups users, so for their sake and for everyone else looking for ways to connect with usenet
it's common courtesy to welcome strangers into this untamed wild west of unmoderated discussion forums, while encouraging them to avoid predators
I have no doubts whatsoever that there are some decent Google Groups users >out there. I /wish/ you were right, that there were a multitude of former >Google Groups users who would migrate to providers like Eternal September, >and who are motivated to learn to use tools like newsreaders and PGP and >mail2news gateways to post.
Sadly, I haven't seen any evidence of people fitting that description. Most >of those soon-to-be-former Google Groups users are just going to throw up >their hands in frustration and give up.
In article <20240219090925.733D41200AF@fleegle.mixmin.net>,
Stainless Steel Rat <Use-Author-Supplied-Address-Header@[127.1]> wrote:
On Thu, 15 Feb 2024 15:55:11 +0100 (CET), D <J@M> said:
google groups users may not realize the fundamental differences between
the autonomous/decentralized usenet, versus the proprietary/centralized
alphabet/google corporation; the isolation of google groups from usenet
provides incentive for multitudes of google's users to seek free usenet
news servers, apps, and websites, that will help them to stay connected
Not gonna happen... trust me on this one.
They've gotten used to being breast-fed by Mother Google, and they will be >> as helpless as infants once the milk supply dries up in a few days.
The most recent Google-originated spam is not an attempt to advertise to Usenet users, but an attempt to poison the Google search engine with
spurious Google Groups ads. This will go away once Google Groups is disconnected and there will be no motivation for these people to move elsewhere because even were they to spam via NNTP, their spam would not
be found by the Google search engine.
Spammers who are attempting to advertise to Usenet users will remain, but these are comparatively sparse and much easier to deal with. Spam will
not go away with the disconnection of Google Groups, but it will cease to
be more than a minor annoyance.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."
There are certain NGs where something like 99% of the posters use Google >Groups, and I'm NOT referring to the spammers. In another couple of days, >they will be left high and dry.
For far too many of them, Google Groups is not only all they know, it's all >they have /ever/ known. Google has fostered a culture of dependency, and >people have become so accustomed to it, that they cannot even /conceive/ of >doing things any other way. Some people are even under the impression that >/Google/ is responsible for managing Usenet!
Given Google's history of abandoning projects, one would have thought that >people would have seen this coming, but no.
There are certain NGs where something like 99% of the posters use Google Groups, and I'm NOT referring to the spammers. In another couple of days, they will be left high and dry.
For far too many of them, Google Groups is not only all they know, it's all they have /ever/ known. Google has fostered a culture of dependency, and people have become so accustomed to it, that they cannot even /conceive/ of doing things any other way. Some people are even under the impression that /Google/ is responsible for managing Usenet!
To them, I guess, Google Groups /is/ Usenet!
Given Google's history of abandoning projects, one would have thought that people would have seen this coming, but no.
google groups users may not realize the fundamental differences between
the autonomous/decentralized usenet, versus the proprietary/centralized alphabet/google corporation; the isolation of google groups from usenet provides incentive for multitudes of google's users to seek free usenet
news servers, apps, and websites, that will help them to stay connected
On 15/02/2024 15:55 D <J@M> wrote:
google groups users may not realize the fundamental differences between
the autonomous/decentralized usenet, versus the proprietary/centralized
alphabet/google corporation; the isolation of google groups from usenet
provides incentive for multitudes of google's users to seek free usenet
news servers, apps, and websites, that will help them to stay connected
I hope UseNet will see a revival in the near future since Google Groups will remove its connection to Usenet tomorrow, Febuary 22nd 2024!
On Wed, 21 Feb 2024, The Running Man wrote:
On 15/02/2024 15:55 D <J@M> wrote:
google groups users may not realize the fundamental differences between
the autonomous/decentralized usenet, versus the proprietary/centralized
alphabet/google corporation; the isolation of google groups from usenet
provides incentive for multitudes of google's users to seek free usenet
news servers, apps, and websites, that will help them to stay connected
I hope UseNet will see a revival in the near future since Google Groups will remove its connection to Usenet tomorrow, Febuary 22nd 2024!
Let's hope for the best! =) Would be nice to have a federated space for
long form discussions that is not dependent on a single for-profit
company.
On 21/02/2024 15:06 D <nospam@example.net> wrote:What you are saying is that a group of people in an established
On Wed, 21 Feb 2024, The Running Man wrote:
On 15/02/2024 15:55 D <J@M> wrote:
google groups users may not realize the fundamental differences between >>>> the autonomous/decentralized usenet, versus the proprietary/centralized >>>> alphabet/google corporation; the isolation of google groups from usenet >>>> provides incentive for multitudes of google's users to seek free usenet >>>> news servers, apps, and websites, that will help them to stay connected >>>>
I hope UseNet will see a revival in the near future since Google Groups will remove its connection to Usenet tomorrow, Febuary 22nd 2024!
Let's hope for the best! =) Would be nice to have a federated space for
long form discussions that is not dependent on a single for-profit
company.
Indeed. Google simply isn't trustworthy.
Sad thing is: many software projects have moved their discussion fora to Google Groups (like wxWidgets). I hope they'll consider returning sometime in the future.
What you are saying is that a group of people in an established
discussion on Google or another platform is going to say, "Oh look!
Google is disconnecting with Usenet! That means we can uproot our
established discussion and move it to Usenet!"
What are the chances that participants of any significant group are
willing to uproot the group from one platform and re-establish it on a different one? If they were dissatisfied with where they are, they
would have taken action already. Google's decision to cut the cord on
Usenet has about as much correlation with that move as a solar
eclipse.
The Running Man wrote:
On 21/02/2024 15:06 D <nospam@example.net> wrote:What you are saying is that a group of people in an established
On Wed, 21 Feb 2024, The Running Man wrote:
On 15/02/2024 15:55 D <J@M> wrote:
google groups users may not realize the fundamental differences between >>>>> the autonomous/decentralized usenet, versus the proprietary/centralized >>>>> alphabet/google corporation; the isolation of google groups from usenet >>>>> provides incentive for multitudes of google's users to seek free usenet >>>>> news servers, apps, and websites, that will help them to stay connected >>>>>
I hope UseNet will see a revival in the near future since Google Groups will remove its connection to Usenet tomorrow, Febuary 22nd 2024!
Let's hope for the best! =) Would be nice to have a federated space for
long form discussions that is not dependent on a single for-profit
company.
Indeed. Google simply isn't trustworthy.
Sad thing is: many software projects have moved their discussion fora to Google Groups (like wxWidgets). I hope they'll consider returning sometime in the future.
discussion on Google or another platform is going to say, "Oh look!
Google is disconnecting with Usenet! That means we can uproot our
established discussion and move it to Usenet!"
What are the chances that participants of any significant group are
willing to uproot the group from one platform and re-establish it on a different one? If they were dissatisfied with where they are, they
would have taken action already. Google's decision to cut the cord on
Usenet has about as much correlation with that move as a solar eclipse.
On 21/02/2024 15:06 D <nospam@example.net> wrote:
On Wed, 21 Feb 2024, The Running Man wrote:
On 15/02/2024 15:55 D <J@M> wrote:
google groups users may not realize the fundamental differences between >>>> the autonomous/decentralized usenet, versus the proprietary/centralized >>>> alphabet/google corporation; the isolation of google groups from usenet >>>> provides incentive for multitudes of google's users to seek free usenet >>>> news servers, apps, and websites, that will help them to stay connected >>>>
I hope UseNet will see a revival in the near future since Google Groups will remove its connection to Usenet tomorrow, Febuary 22nd 2024!
Let's hope for the best! =) Would be nice to have a federated space for
long form discussions that is not dependent on a single for-profit
company.
Indeed. Google simply isn't trustworthy.
Sad thing is: many software projects have moved their discussion fora to Google Groups (like wxWidgets). I hope they'll consider returning sometime in the future.
On Wed, 21 Feb 2024, The Running Man wrote:
On 21/02/2024 15:06 D <nospam@example.net> wrote:
On Wed, 21 Feb 2024, The Running Man wrote:
On 15/02/2024 15:55 D <J@M> wrote:
google groups users may not realize the fundamental differences between >>>>> the autonomous/decentralized usenet, versus the proprietary/centralized >>>>> alphabet/google corporation; the isolation of google groups from usenet >>>>> provides incentive for multitudes of google's users to seek free usenet >>>>> news servers, apps, and websites, that will help them to stay connected >>>>>
I hope UseNet will see a revival in the near future since Google Groups will remove its connection to Usenet tomorrow, Febuary 22nd 2024!
Let's hope for the best! =) Would be nice to have a federated space for
long form discussions that is not dependent on a single for-profit
company.
Indeed. Google simply isn't trustworthy.
Sad thing is: many software projects have moved their discussion fora to Google Groups (like wxWidgets). I hope they'll consider returning sometime in the future.
Yuck! I try to stay away from open source projects that use slck, discord
or any other closed/proprietary platform.
I cannot understand how the young generation has forgotten all the lessons
of the older. =(
But I'll keep indoctrinating the younger and hopefully I'll make it stick!
;)
On Wed, 21 Feb 2024 22:38:55 +0100, D wrote:
On Wed, 21 Feb 2024, The Running Man wrote:
On 21/02/2024 15:06 D <nospam@example.net> wrote:
On Wed, 21 Feb 2024, The Running Man wrote:
On 15/02/2024 15:55 D <J@M> wrote:
google groups users may not realize the fundamental differences between >>>>>> the autonomous/decentralized usenet, versus the proprietary/centralized >>>>>> alphabet/google corporation; the isolation of google groups from usenet >>>>>> provides incentive for multitudes of google's users to seek free usenet >>>>>> news servers, apps, and websites, that will help them to stay connected >>>>>>
I hope UseNet will see a revival in the near future since Google Groups will remove its connection to Usenet tomorrow, Febuary 22nd 2024!
Let's hope for the best! =) Would be nice to have a federated space for >>>> long form discussions that is not dependent on a single for-profit
company.
Indeed. Google simply isn't trustworthy.
Sad thing is: many software projects have moved their discussion fora to Google Groups (like wxWidgets). I hope they'll consider returning sometime in the future.
Yuck! I try to stay away from open source projects that use slck, discord
or any other closed/proprietary platform.
I cannot understand how the young generation has forgotten all the lessons >> of the older. =(
But I'll keep indoctrinating the younger and hopefully I'll make it stick! >> ;)
I think the younger generation knows nothing at all about privacy on the internet, and most like wouldn't care at all if you tried to explain it to them.
Thinking about the fact that a web forum can just disappear, and all the posts with it doesn't even enter people's minds.
Stainless Steel Rat <Use-Author-Supplied-Address-Header@[127.1]> wrote:
There are certain NGs where something like 99% of the posters use Google
Groups, and I'm NOT referring to the spammers. In another couple of days,
they will be left high and dry.
What have you done to warn them? As for me, I have been telling people
for a couple decades to get off of Google Groups.
For far too many of them, Google Groups is not only all they know, it's all >> they have /ever/ known. Google has fostered a culture of dependency, and
people have become so accustomed to it, that they cannot even /conceive/ of >> doing things any other way. Some people are even under the impression that >> /Google/ is responsible for managing Usenet!
And what have you done about this? Have you pointed them at real news services and suggested to them that perhaps they would be better off on a real news server? There are even web services for people who cannot survive without having a web interface.
Given Google's history of abandoning projects, one would have thought that >> people would have seen this coming, but no.
I am personally kind of surprised that it happened before a UDP did. The
UDP was far, far overdue.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."
I think the younger generation knows nothing at all about privacy on the internet, and most like wouldn't care at all if you tried to explain it to them.
Thinking about the fact that a web forum can just disappear, and all the posts with it doesn't even enter people's minds.
On Wed, 21 Feb 2024 15:09:34 -0700, Retro Guy <retroguy@novabbs.org> said:
[snip]
I think the younger generation knows nothing at all about privacy on the
internet, and most like wouldn't care at all if you tried to explain it to >> them.
This applies even in the former Warsaw Pact countries, where people were really concerned about privacy, given their history (e.g. East Germany).
Most young people were born well after the Warsaw Pact dissolved, and they know almost nothing about their history, except what they hear from parents and grandparents. (A lot of it goes in one ear, and out the other).
Thinking about the fact that a web forum can just disappear, and all the
posts with it doesn't even enter people's minds.
Tell me about it. What really blew my mind, though, was when Amazon recalled e-books (George Orwell - Animal Farm & 1984) apparently due to copyright/ permissions issues, and they just removed this book from all the Kindles or other devices that people had downloaded their purchase to.
IIRC, they got sued, because a student was working on a paper based on that book, and they had input their research notes onto that device along with
the book. When the book was removed, so were their notes and annotations.
Amazon Erases Orwell Books From Kindle
By Brad Stone
July 17, 2009
https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/18/technology/companies/18amazon.html
I am personally kind of surprised that it happened before a UDP did. The
UDP was far, far overdue.
Most people have just moved on, it would seem. Bloody shame, because Usenet is the original distributed anarchy, much harder to censor than some web page.
On Thu, 22 Feb 2024, Stainless Steel Rat wrote:
On Wed, 21 Feb 2024 15:09:34 -0700, Retro Guy <retroguy@novabbs.org> said: >>
[snip]
I think the younger generation knows nothing at all about privacy on the >>> internet, and most like wouldn't care at all if you tried to explain it to >>> them.
This applies even in the former Warsaw Pact countries, where people were
really concerned about privacy, given their history (e.g. East Germany).
Most young people were born well after the Warsaw Pact dissolved, and they >> know almost nothing about their history, except what they hear from parents >> and grandparents. (A lot of it goes in one ear, and out the other).
Thinking about the fact that a web forum can just disappear, and all the >>> posts with it doesn't even enter people's minds.
Tell me about it. What really blew my mind, though, was when Amazon recalled
e-books (George Orwell - Animal Farm & 1984) apparently due to copyright/ >> permissions issues, and they just removed this book from all the Kindles or >> other devices that people had downloaded their purchase to.
IIRC, they got sued, because a student was working on a paper based on that >> book, and they had input their research notes onto that device along with >> the book. When the book was removed, so were their notes and annotations. >>
Amazon Erases Orwell Books From Kindle
By Brad Stone
July 17, 2009
https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/18/technology/companies/18amazon.html
Wow, had no idea! Thankfully annas archive exists and all my
ebook-darlings are saved locally on my computer, but had no idea that
amazon could reach into kindles and just delete stuff. That's horrible!
Policies can be changed, modified or revoked at any time. I wouldn't accept
a Kindle as a gift, given this history. All it would take is for Amazon to back-track on their policy, and they could do the same all over again.
When I /pirate/ something, it's mine, forever.
It's like privacy-by-policy versus privacy-by-design -- I would always want the latter as opposed to the former. That is why I use a nymserver instead
of Protonmail. Protonmail is built on privacy by policy, whereas the nym- server is based on privacy by *design*.
On Fri, 23 Feb 2024, Stainless Steel Rat wrote:
Policies can be changed, modified or revoked at any time. I wouldn't accept >> a Kindle as a gift, given this history. All it would take is for Amazon to >> back-track on their policy, and they could do the same all over again.
Oh yes. I think we have all learned by now that you cannot trust
companies and you cannot trust your government. The only one you can
trust is your self and your family.
When I /pirate/ something, it's mine, forever.
I sometimes to wonder about how much suffering my pirating causes. I
console myself with the fact that I actually pay for books. It is my
greatest passion. When it comes to the movies and music I pirate, I
think I could honestly live without them, since I am not a huge movie or music fan. I do occasionally pay for a movie theater visit, but that
happens about 1 or 2 times per year. I probably go to a classical
concert or some small jazz concert about 2-3 times per year and that's
about it.
It's like privacy-by-policy versus privacy-by-design -- I would always want >> the latter as opposed to the former. That is why I use a nymserver instead >> of Protonmail. Protonmail is built on privacy by policy, whereas the nym-
server is based on privacy by *design*.
I do not understand how it can be so difficult for even hardened privacy enthusiasts to understand that if you rely on someone elses service, it
can in theory very easily be broken. For instance, signal. All it takes
is an update and you're smoked.
What is a nymserver? Is it just a storage space where you upload client encrypted information?
Best regards,
Daniel
...I sometimes to wonder about how much suffering my pirating causes. I
console myself with the fact that I actually pay for books. It is my
greatest passion. When it comes to the movies and music I pirate, I
think I could honestly live without them, since I am not a huge movie or
music fan. I do occasionally pay for a movie theater visit, but that
happens about 1 or 2 times per year. I probably go to a classical
concert or some small jazz concert about 2-3 times per year and that's
about it.
I don't worry about it, let me tell you why. Copyright did not exist prior
My attitude can be summed-up like this: "FUCK copyright!"
...What is a nymserver? Is it just a storage space where you upload client
encrypted information?
No. You can think of a nymserver as a specialized type of mailserver. They have the following properties:
* Encrypted emails, before being sent on to their final destination, are
sent through a back-end remailer, which removes all metadata.
The operator doesn't have any other information. Accounts can be setup via specially-formatted email messages, which can be sent from Tor-based email accounts, or sent through one or more anonymous remailers. Either way, the operator does not know, and indeed /cannot/ know, who the sender/account holder is.
Another way to think about it is: protonmail done right.
I'm assuming more and more people will realize that Google's interests are not their interests and they'll act accordingly.
Google Groups isn't any better than UseNet and has significant down-sides. Like being dependent on a monopolistic Tech Giant who'll always put its profits ahead of the good of its users.
On Sat, 24 Feb 2024, Stainless Steel Rat wrote:
...I sometimes to wonder about how much suffering my pirating causes. I
console myself with the fact that I actually pay for books. It is my
greatest passion. When it comes to the movies and music I pirate, I
think I could honestly live without them, since I am not a huge movie or >>> music fan. I do occasionally pay for a movie theater visit, but that
happens about 1 or 2 times per year. I probably go to a classical
concert or some small jazz concert about 2-3 times per year and that's
about it.
I don't worry about it, let me tell you why. Copyright did not exist prior
My attitude can be summed-up like this: "FUCK copyright!"
I had no idea! Thank you for a very thorough and enlightening post.
I still think there is hope for usenet!
...What is a nymserver? Is it just a storage space where you upload client
encrypted information?
No. You can think of a nymserver as a specialized type of mailserver. They >> have the following properties:
* Encrypted emails, before being sent on to their final destination, are
sent through a back-end remailer, which removes all metadata.
Can you chain remailers? Kind of like tor, but for emails? If I'm understanding you correctly I see the chain mail->nymserver->remailer->remailer->destination.
And do I understand you correctly if I think it is impossible to reply, except, through a newsgroup or other common "posting area"? Due to the chaining, and making sure no information is stored in case of server
capture, I would imagine people using this anonymously by sending
encrypted messages to a news group (for instance) and then decrypting
the content there on their client.
The operator doesn't have any other information. Accounts can be setup via >> specially-formatted email messages, which can be sent from Tor-based email >> accounts, or sent through one or more anonymous remailers. Either way, the >> operator does not know, and indeed /cannot/ know, who the sender/account
holder is.
To me, this sounds like the only potential way to find you. If you
somehow capture the nymserver, and you (the sender) do not use tor to
access it, but do it through your regular connection.
If the remailers also have built in random delays to make timing more difficult, I think that would be an additional benefit.
I don't have a need (at the moment) for such strict privacy and secrecy,
but I always like to learn more and experiment. Where can I find such a nymserver and learn more and try it out?
I don't have a need (at the moment) for such strict privacy and secrecy,
but I always like to learn more and experiment. Where can I find such a nymserver and learn more and try it out?
On Sat, 24 Feb 2024 12:00:06 +0100, D <nospam@example.net> said:
I don't have a need (at the moment) for such strict privacy and secrecy,
but I always like to learn more and experiment. Where can I find such a
nymserver and learn more and try it out?
One of the best documents (that I have found, so far) describing the history and workings of the Cypherpunk nymservers can be found in the following academic paper:
The Design, Implementation and Operation of an Email Pseudonym Server
David Mazi??res and M. Frans Kaashoeke
MIT Laboratory for Computer Science
545 Technology Square, Cambridge MA 02139
http://pdos.csail.mit.edu/papers/nymserver:ccs5.pdf or
http://freehaven.net/anonbib/cache/nym-alias-net.pdf
This paper was originally published in the Proceedings of the 5th ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security, 1998.
The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) was founded in 1947, and is
one of the oldest and most-respected computing associations still in existence.
Abstract
Attacks on servers that provide anonymity generally fall into two
categories: attempts to expose anonymous users and attempts to
silence them. Much existing work concentrates on withstanding the
former, but the threat of the latter is equally real. One
particularly effective attack against anonymous servers is to
abuse them and stir up enough trouble that they must shut down.
This paper describes the design, implementation, and operation of
nym.alias.net, a server providing untraceable email aliases. We
enumerate many kinds of abuse the system has weathered during two
years of operation, and explain the measures we enacted in response.
From our experiences, we distill several principles by which one
can protect anonymous servers from similar attacks.
Stainless Steel Rat
I had no idea! Thank you for a very thorough and enlightening post.
You're welcome. Most people just unthinkingly buy into the copyright cartel's nonsense about creativity requiring copyright -- they don't bother to learn the truth. The Canadian copyright cartel even went so far as to publish and distribute a comic featuring Captain Copyright in Canadian elementary schools.
The stupid bastards at Access Copyright Canada mis-stated the law (very likely deliberately) in that comic book; someone who knew better, got hold
of it, and blew the whistle on them -- the comic ended-up having to be withdrawn, and the entire program scrapped.
I think the idea was to brainwash kids while they were still young enough to unquestioningly accept what they were told by their teachers and authorities. (The same way kids are brainwashed into accepting religion as true, and
drugs are bad...)
I still think there is hope for usenet!
I agree... Usenet's demise has been predicted for decades!
Can you chain remailers? Kind of like tor, but for emails? If I'm
understanding you correctly I see the chain
mail->nymserver->remailer->remailer->destination.
This is already long-since implemented, although not quite the way as you describe.
And do I understand you correctly if I think it is impossible to reply,
except, through a newsgroup or other common "posting area"? Due to the
chaining, and making sure no information is stored in case of server
capture, I would imagine people using this anonymously by sending
encrypted messages to a news group (for instance) and then decrypting
the content there on their client.
One can use a nymserver account to reply directly to a regular email account.
Similarly, one can configure their nymserver reply block to send directly to an email account.
That said, if you want to, you can also have messages sent to an anonymous message pool (i.e. alt.anonymous.messages, or AAM for short.) As an aside, AAM was newgrouped in 1994, making 2024 it's 30th year in operation.
AAM is still being used today, but the volume of traffic in that group is very much reduced from what it was back in the day. AAM used to receive /in/ /excess/ of 1000 postings per day. I'm not sure what the message volume is like today, but it is very much reduced from what it was at its' peak.
To me, this sounds like the only potential way to find you. If you
somehow capture the nymserver, and you (the sender) do not use tor to
access it, but do it through your regular connection.
As I said, use a Tor-based email service, or send your email through a YAMN chain.
What you might find interesting is that about a dozen years ago, the FBI seized a Mixmaster remailer (for the second time) and they got /absolutely/ /nothing/ out of it:...
WiReD
See also: https://edri.org/our-work/edrigramnumber10-8fbi-seizure-server-remailer/
If the remailers also have built in random delays to make timing more
difficult, I think that would be an additional benefit.
My understanding is that they do this already, to one degree or another.
I don't have a need (at the moment) for such strict privacy and secrecy,
but I always like to learn more and experiment. Where can I find such a
nymserver and learn more and try it out?
Send an email to: help@nymph.paranoici.org -- it'll reply with the nymserver help file, that was originally written for nym.alias.net in the mid-1990s.
This file will give you an overview of the remailer features and operations.
[...]
| Sysop: | Keyop |
|---|---|
| Location: | Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, UK |
| Users: | 497 |
| Nodes: | 16 (3 / 13) |
| Uptime: | 02:08:47 |
| Calls: | 9,768 |
| Calls today: | 9 |
| Files: | 13,748 |
| Messages: | 6,186,433 |