DBS Wiki and OpenDBS update

14 Aug 2002

I’ve started a Wiki on Digital Bearer Settlements. There are a lot of sites out there with links to papers, but I wish to write analysis and synthesis of the info out there. I only have the barest amount of stuff on there thus far, but if you felt so inclined add some stuff.

I’m working a cryptomonkey.net logo in Gimp. Think cartoon monkey outline on top of a hex dump of the Declaration of Independence. No, I didn’t read too much cyberpunk while growing up.

Of course what I really want is Ryan to reply to my email about OpenDBS, preferably with a link to some source code.

Oh yeah, I haven’t mention here what I found out from him at H2K2 because I didn’t want to steal any thunder from his talk at Defcon (which I’m looking for an mp3 of). Kevin Burton made some notes of the talk, but I’m not sure how much of these details he gave out.

There is code (that’s a good start). It’s in python (yeah!). It makes use of the Cryptix crypto lib, from which we can extrapolate that the code is in Jython, not the C based Python we know and love. Ryan initially wants to have the whole system (client wallet and all) hosted on Sealand accessable via a web interface while he works out the client-server protocol (this I wish to change his mind on. I’m not total sure what he means by that, the diffrent digital bearer systems take care of what numbers you send, and why not use XML-RPC/SOAP/XML-REST for the packaging of those numbers?). He has code for Chaum and Wagner type digital cash, and wishes to add Brands as well.

Update on zooko

14 Aug 2002

Zooko moved from Halfax, NS to Toronto a week ago. He hasn’t gotten back on the net yet, but he was supposed to get DSL today. Unfortunately Canadian DSL providers are just as bad as US providers and thus, no zooko.

When he gets back we will push out a new Mnet release. If he doesn’t show by Saturday I’ll do the Mnet release. I really want to tear in the Unstable branch and fix what I can.

Thoughts and musings

14 Aug 2002

Wow… weeks fly by and no posting from me. Recently I’ve been in meetings for 7 hours of the day and having really great profound thoughts. If I had a Wifi’ed laptop at these meetings they’d all be here, but by the time I get home (1 hour commute) I too tired to think anymore.

2 more days of meetings and I’ll be working at home for my other client for a while.

How very cyberpunk

01 Aug 2002

The Register has a great story on some hackers turning a DreamCast console into a “phone home” box that can be installed inside a firewalled network to allow the installer to access that network from the outside.

The street finds it’s own use for things, indeed.

Nader would have made a great prez

23 Jul 2002

Here is a great editorial by Ralph Nader. The news media should have promoted him just because he would make the news so much fun to watch.