[Cryptography] email from strangers -->

[Russ Nelson]

John Levine writes:
 > >For one thing, I could insist that all unsolicited email
 > >bear a payment of 49 cents (equivalent to US first-class
 > >postage) payable to me via some cryptologically-secure 
 > >e-payment scheme.  
 > >
 > >I promise not to collect the payment unless I actually
 > >read the message. ...
 > 
 > That's attention bonds, aka Vanquish.  See US Patent 6,697,462.

You can't patent something that's obvious even to the most casual
observer. Doesn't stop them from trying.

 > Also see my rant at http://www.taugh.com/epostage.pdf which explains
 > why epostage will never work.  I wrote it ten years ago but nothing of
 > importance has changed.

Epostage works fine, or at least the implementation of it does. "If
you want to send me a message, send me 50 cents via paypal and include
the message there. If your email is worth reading, I'll send you the
50 cents back." The fact that nobody actually uses it is proof
positive that you are correct.

-- 
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