Re: [roy@rant-central.com: Re: [arma@mit.edu: Re: Wikipedia & Tor]]

[David Benfell <benfell@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Wed, 28 Sep 2005 06:57:37 -0400, Jimmy Wales wrote:
> 
> Authentication of users is _not_ in direct contradiction to the entire
> idea of anonymity.  I'm sure that people smarter than me can explain
> this to you better than I can.

Oh really?  From the American Heritage Dictionary (the pronunciation
symbols are mangled in plain ASCII text):

<quote>
au·then·ti·cate  (ô-th+nZt2-k"t.)
tr.v. au·then·ti·cat·ed, au·then·ti·cat·ing,
au·then·ti·cates
 To establish the authenticity of; prove genuine: a specialist who
authenticated the antique samovar. See Synonyms at confirm.
</quote>

<quote>
i·den·ti·fy  (1-d+nZtM-f1.)
v. i·den·ti·fied, i·den·ti·fy·ing, i·den·ti·fies
v.tr.
1.  To establish the identity of.
2.  To ascertain the origin, nature, or definitive characteristics of.
3. Biology  To determine the taxonomic classification of (an
organism).
4.  To consider as identical or united; equate.
5.  To associate or affiliate (oneself) closely with a person or
group.
v.intr.
 To establish an identification with another or others.
</quote>

For the purpose here, there is no substantial distinction between
authentication and identification.

<quote>
a·non·y·mous  (M-n8nZM-mMs)
adj.
1.  Having an unknown or unacknowledged name: an anonymous author.
2.  Having an unknown or withheld authorship or agency: an anonymous
letter; an anonymous phone call.
3.  Having no distinctive character or recognition factor: "a very
great, almost anonymous center of people who just want peace" Alan
Paton.
</quote>

The concept of anonymity is incompatible with identification and with
authentication.  By definition.

> > And at the same time, you claim to endorse the idea of anonymity, by
> > 1) not authenticating users, while 2) claiming that you *do*
> > authenticate users.
> 
> I don't have any idea what you think this means.
> 
Very simple.  You have claimed in response to another of my postings
that you do authenticate users.  Others here say that in effect you do
not.  Not being a Wikipedia contributor, I don't know whether you do
or not.  But your responses to others seem to concur with their claims
that you do not authenticate users.  It seems you are trying to have
it both ways.

You advocate a contradiction as a solution to *your* problem with Tor.
Worse, you want the developers of Tor to import this contradiction
into the operation of Tor.

I sincerely hope you don't have to have ever been a programmer to see
why this is a problem.

-- 
David Benfell, LCP
benfell@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
---
Resume available at http://www.parts-unknown.org/