[TML] [Merchant Shipping] Some ideas I came up with to make merchant shipping more interesing

[Jerry W Barrington]

On 4/17/08 9:45 PM, "Tom B" <kaladorn at gmail.com> wrote:

> The method of character generation generates *characters*. That is
> inherently 1 in a million guys. Unless you think the Scout service
> actually passes out Scout couriers like candy to most of their
> retirees? I don't see it. Characters are inherently special.

So are terrorists.  :)

> One can argue about both the original assertion and my counter. I can
> point to a number of foiled plans and for every one we know about, I'm
> sure several others have been taken apart by covert police and
> intelligence forces. Often these are done by penetration of the cells
> or informers, neither of which suggests impenetrable zealotry is
> terribly effective overall.

In addition to various other fields of cynicism, I am *very* skeptical when
this government tells me they foiled a plot.  We have no proof.  It's all
classified.  It could quite easily be more government terrorism, i.e. keep
the sheep so scared of the wolves that they don't notice what the farmer is
up to.

> I don't. They'll shortly (if not already) have workable quantum
> decryption and cryptanalysis. That's a whole new ballgame. But I have
> no reason at all to believe they won't also have the quantum version
> of new cryptography to go with it as well.

>From all I've read, quantum is only really useful for public key
distribution.  Not meaningful when the keys have to be sent by jump ships.
And once you have the keys distributed, you're right back to standard crypto
attacks on the data stream.

> You can make whatever decision you want for your TU, but I see this as
> classic paper-scissors-rock, measure and counter measure. It's been
> that way through most of history and I expect that to continue.

Comes down to trying to make it computationally difficult to figure out the
text.  And the OTU has some *amazing* computers.  :)

> And any electronic recording media that enters the building is
> confiscated and does not leave (is destroyed).

Heh.  We played Jeopardy & Wheel of Fortune on the night shift.  XD

> b) didn't know about it (or realize what it was)

The German schoolkids on the forest sure knew about it.  :P

> d) had other fish to fry

I suspect this was the main issue.