Re: IMPORTANT: RSA Data Security Challenge participants please read
> From: jghasler@win.bright.net
> > Do you win by exploring a larger fraction
> > of the keyspace than anyone else, or by finding the key?
>
> By finding the key. We were approaching a 1 in 10 probability of
> finding the key. If we won against the Linux group, it would have
> created the perception that Debian would work against Linux if it
> profited Debian. That's not a good perception to have. I have already
> sent my apologies to the Linux team for the entire project.
I still don't understand your reasoning here. This is not a zero-sum game.
*Everyone* particpating in the RC5 contest is, whether they know it or not,
not trying to "beat" other participants, but send a message to U.S.
legislators regarding cryptography. Today, RC5. Tomorrow, DES. Next
week, Phil Zimmerman's a free man. (Oh well, we can dream...)
I think it would score a lot of PR points for Debian to place, or win.
Debian is a Linux distribution. Our win is Linux's win. Our win is the
FSF's win. Our win is even, to some degree, RedHat's and Slackware's win,
because they serve a similar market with a similar product. Microsoft
droids don't appear to be participating: I didn't see any pre-compiled
clients for Windows NT.
Please reconsider, Bruce. If you have a firm conviction that we're going
to irreversibly hack off Linus or RMS by winning, and cause trouble for
the Debian project in the future, then fine, I agree with your position.
I'd like to hear why, though. I submit that anyone who thinks that
Debian is attempting to slight the rest of the Linux/GNU community by this
effort is just not seeing things clearly. No distribution does better than
ours in giving credit where credit is due.
This is ultimately a cooperative contest, not a competitive one.
Thanks for listening.
--
"Never underestimate the power of human stupidity." | G. Branden Robinson
-- Robert Heinlein | branden@purdue.edu
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