[82240] in Cypherpunks
Re: cypherpunks coding challenge
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Tim May)
Sun Jun 22 13:03:45 1997
X-Real-To: <cypherpunks@cyberpass.net>
In-Reply-To: <199706220938.KAA06436@server.test.net>
Date: Sun, 22 Jun 1997 09:35:56 -0700
To: cypherpunks@cyberpass.net
From: Tim May <tcmay@got.net>
Reply-To: Tim May <tcmay@got.net>
At 2:38 AM -0700 6/22/97, Adam Back wrote:
>A couple of people have complained of the huge efforts put into
>breaking keys, and of the small efforts invested in cypherpunks code
>writing of late.
>
>Perhaps there is something to this challenge stuff, in terms of
>getting contributors, neatly tabulating results, working up
>enthusiasm etc.
>
>So... how about a code writing challenge, an award for the best
>cypherpunk project every month. (No monetary prize, just vote on list
>to decide most significant project).
>
>Perhaps a list of how many lines of code. A hall of fame if you like:
>
>% wc -l `find . -name \*.h -print -o -name \*.c -print`
>
>Eric Young SSL-eay 101,721 lines
>PGP Inc pgp30 (?) lines
>Phil Zimmermann & co pgp263 34,891 lines
....
Not to be tedious about this, but why would "lines of code" be an
interesting metric?
I'm reminded of a cartoon showing a Russian factory winning the "greatest
tonnage of screws produced," with a crane lifting a massive, 100 meter long
screw above the factory. The dangers of the wrong metric.
I think we need a few major innovations more than some number of lines of code.
--Tim May
(No, I'm not a programmer. But I've done a few "hacks" which were
interesting and useful, I think. Taking readily available stuff, "BlackNet"
made the concrete point that data havens and anonymous markets already are
possible. Number of lines of code written: zero. The task is to combine
some of the existing tools into new things. Raw lines of code is not
necessarily useful.)
There's something wrong when I'm a felon under an increasing number of laws.
Only one response to the key grabbers is warranted: "Death to Tyrants!"
---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,
tcmay@got.net 408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA | knowledge, reputations, information markets,
Higher Power: 2^1398269 | black markets, collapse of governments.
"National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."
