Re: LYNX-DEV SSL Distribution (Was: Lynx 2.7.1)

[Greg Stark]

Mark Mentovai <address@hidden> writes:
> On Wed, 31 Dec 1997, Matt Ackeret wrote:
> > > On the question of SSL.  Unfortunately, we cannot put SSL capability into
> > > the general distribution because of the draconian US laws concerning the
> > > export of encryption technology.  However, there is more than one way to
> > 
> > Ok, so I guess I'm actually arguing the lazier end..  Could there
> > at least be "full distributions" of the stuff WITH the SSL already in, 
> > on US FTP sites, alongside the non-SSL ones?
> 
> No, that would generate problems because there would be nothing stopping
> other people from other countries from FTPing the full SSL distribution to
> their sites, effectively exporting the code.  (Oh no!  The world would 
> come to an end!)  Something like what Netscape and PGP Software have could
> be used for the "strong cryptography" stuff: a little web page that has a
> few checkboxes and is linked to a program.  

No this is the exact opposite of what we could do. Netscape and PGP have
little choice but to operate as US companies, But free software endeavours
take contributions from anywhere in the world and needn't do their
cryptography work in a country that places restrictions on it. 

Instead we should do what Debian, SSLeay, Sun, and various other companies are
doing. All cryptography work is done outside the US and available only from
non-US ftp servers. That way it is available to all including people in the
US. It would make it annoying because American's wouldn't be able to ftp it
from a nearby ftp server.

greg