to: cypherpunks@toad.com,cypherwonks@lists.eunet.fi cc: ld231782 subject: A Message from Medusa I am cleaning out my archives of past mail to respond to. Some people still persist in believing that absolutely no pseudospoofing is occuring on behalf of the Cypherpunks. I have over a thousand messages that suggest quite to the contrary. Below is one of my favorites. E.Brandt, a longtime cypherpunk list subscriber, explains to me that he is Medusa. If anyone wishes to debate my claims on the existence of pseudospoofing, please do your homework and email Mr. Brandt to determine the meaning of his message below. I will be most amused if you get no response, one that complains that he was being facetious, or one that complains his privacy has been violated. I would be further amused at anyone's attempts to determine any aspect of Mr. Brandt's life that suggests he is a real human being. In the letter, We have the familiar techniques of the ad hominem attack on S.Boxx (Mr. Brandt is definitely dragging down his preeminent reputation by claiming that he is in some way affiliated with me ). This is the mandatory `pseudonymity is OK as long as it glorifies us' hypocrisy of the cypherpunks. The letter also has a manifestation of Medusa's uncommonly noxious arrogance. She cannot help but to brag, ``I AM MEDUSA, CONTROLLER OF ALL TENTACLES!'' But the unusual aspect of this message was that exhibited a strong degree of desperation on the part of Medusa. She actually offered to apologize if I could reveal how I identify tentacles! Again, we have the Hughes-May-Gilmore idea that `if there is no evidence, there is no crime.' Unfortunately for Medusa, obviously I cannot reveal this sensitive information. Medusa went away quite upset despite initiating this conversation, asking me and my postmaster not to send any more mail. Mr. Brandt, if you don't want me to send *you* mail, don't send *me* any. The source of the desperation was probably due to the increasing attention and exposure to cypherpunks `out there' on other mailing lists and in the newsgroups, which is obviously getting more difficult to maintain with all the tentacle damage control. They think that the cascades beneath every new message saying ``L.Detweiler is insane'' effectively nullify the damaging truth and publicity of the messages. The cypherpunks don't understand that sometimes when people are most influenced, they are at first silent. Damage control by `lackeys' is not effective when the leaders themselves are challenged. Cypherpunks and your leaders, if you wish to convince me or anyone else that you are not pseudospoofing, you should definitely avoid sending anyone a letter like this. ===cut=here=== From ebrandt@jarthur.Claremont.EDU Sun Dec 5 00:44:05 1993 Return-Path: Received: from jarthur.cs.hmc.edu by longs.lance.colostate.edu (5.65/lance.1.5) id AA11808; Sun, 5 Dec 93 00:44:04 -0700 Message-Id: <9312050744.AA11808@longs.lance.colostate.edu> Subject: Re: Hi there! To: "L. Detweiler" Date: Sat, 4 Dec 93 23:43:59 PST From: Eli Brandt In-Reply-To: <9312050703.AA11258@longs.lance.colostate.edu>; from "L. Detweiler" at Dec 5, 93 12:03 am X-Arcane-Subliminal-Header: fooquayleglorkpsilocybinrkbapinkyogsothothquux X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.3 PL11] > I would like to point out that this is an `obviously pseudonymous' > use, not `pseudoanonymous'. Why do you constantly use different usernames for an12070, and have them espouse contradictory positions? To increase the number of apparently-distinct identities which you control! You are attempting to BLUDGEON your opponents into abject cringing SUBMISSION through the sheer force of DEMOCRATIC NUMBERS. > if someone lies to me in email, I am offended and will follow up. if > these tentacles did not claim to be real people, I would go away. You know, you're going to be really embarrassed when you come to your senses. Think about this for a minute. Do you have *any* grounds for believing that we're all the same person? Let me make you an offer: pick the two people whom you think are most clearly a single person. Test your hypothesis. If you prove that they are the same, I will publically apologize to you and denounce "pseudospoofing". If you cannot do so within a pre-agreed time limit, you will stop ranting. Making such a proof should not be too hard -- after all, people connected you and S.Boxx within a week or two. > if you have any knowledge of what is going on, it is your duty to > stop the lie. "Any knowledge" indeed. I am MEDUSA, the controller of ALL TENTACLES. Eli ebrandt@jarthur.claremont.edu