| From: | "Mark L. Neidengard" <mneideng@****.CALTECH.EDU> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Re: Business |
| Date: | Tue, 3 Mar 1998 16:59:42 -0800 |
>>The encryption/decryption argument:
>
>I seem to recall a discussion about this back in the old days. I don't
>recall the conclusion, but I suspect it came back to what's in the FAQ;
>i.e. an encrypted message is considered unbreakable, except when it is
>desired by the people running the current storyline to do otherwise. If
>Mark and I agree that the next "Draig Un" message will be cracked, then
>that's fine, it's part of our hypothetical story. But any old schmoe out
>there can't just unilaterally decide to crack encryption, which means your
>special codes are nonsense.
Well, there's two issues here. On one hand, we as players have decreed that
no listmember's characters can unilaterally break another character's
encryption as a practical matter. That is not to say that the normal
privacy is in fact _unbreakable_ in _game_ terms. It merely means that we
have decided that, for whatever arbitrary reason, the messages _won't_ be
broken. In my view, the purpose of extra encryption and redirection is for
message that are not only protected by list policy, but which would be much
harder to break into _anyway_ inside the game. That is, exploiting the
game mechanics rather than the list's "metamechanics".
--
/!\/!ark /!\!eidengard, CS Grad, VLSI http://www.cacr.caltech.edu/~mneideng
"Fairy of sleep, controller of illusions" Operator/Jack-of-all-Trades, CACR
"Control the person for my own purpose." "Don't mess with the Dark
Elves!"
-Pirotess, _Record_of_Lodoss_War_ Shadowrunner and Anime Addict
