[net.crypt] history

koning@koning.DEC (Paul Koning -- LAS Engineering) (03/17/86)

These past few months there's been a lot of traffic in net.crypt
relating to cryptographic history, or more in general the effect
of cryptography and cryptanalysis on history.  While it's very
interesting reading, I sure would like to keep that separate from
the original topic of net.crypt, which is (or seems to be anyway)
applications of cryptography in computer and communication systems
(contemporary).
 
So I'd like to propose a net.crypt.history in order to allow the
two areas of interest to be kept separate.
 
	paul koning

weemba@brahms.BERKELEY.EDU (Matthew P. Wiener) (03/18/86)

In article <1722@decwrl.DEC.COM> koning@koning.DEC (Paul Koning -- LAS Engineering) writes:
>
>These past few months there's been a lot of traffic in net.crypt
>relating to cryptographic history, or more in general the effect
>of cryptography and cryptanalysis on history.  While it's very
>interesting reading, I sure would like to keep that separate from
>the original topic of net.crypt, which is (or seems to be anyway)
>applications of cryptography in computer and communication systems
>(contemporary).
>
>So I'd like to propose a net.crypt.history in order to allow the
>two areas of interest to be kept separate.

First, I think a lot could be learned by current implementators who
don't want to repeat the mistakes of the Germans.  Second, if most
of the traffic is about Enigma and stays about Enigma, then perhaps
net.crypt.contemp should be implemented for the non-Enigma traffic.

But I agree, mixing the two topics up is strange reading, and any
solution is better than none.

The word "Enigma" has been in most of the history messages, making it
easier to avoid them.

I'd most prefer a separate net.history newsgroup.

ucbvax!brahms!weemba	Matthew P Wiener/UCB Math Dept/Berkeley CA 94720