[Cryptography] randomness +- entropy

[Yaron Sheffer]

On 2013-11-08 23:31, Nico Williams wrote:
> On Fri, Nov 08, 2013 at 12:23:57PM -0700, John Denker wrote:
>>> I was only arguing that consuming n bits of PRNG output != lowering the
>>> PRNG's "entropy" by n bits.
>>
>> That inequality is true and useful and well said.
>
My original comment was not a general statement about consuming bits 
from the PRNG. I said that consuming PRNG bits *before the PRNG is fully 
seeded* is a double problem:

- The consumer gets low-quality randomness.
- The *next* consumer's entropy is lower, because the first consumer 
might broadcast the randomness he had just received.

And then Ted said that the consumer in question ("minstrel") does cause 
the entropy estimate to be decreased, so the second problem does not apply.

Thanks,
	Yaron