Until the long-awaited alternative for electronic crypto on the Internet, Privacy Enhanced Mail (PEM), is released – after five years of planning, the release seems near – PGP [Phil Zimmermann’s program, known as Pretty Good Privacy] is one of the only games in town.
Predictor: Gilmore, John
Prediction, in context:In a 1993 article for Wired magazine, Steven Levy writes about encryption, quoting cryptoactivist John Gilmore. Levy writes: ”Until the long-awaited alternative for electronic crypto on the Internet, Privacy Enhanced Mail (PEM), is released – after five years of planning, the release seems near – PGP [Phil Zimmermann’s program, known as Pretty Good Privacy] is one of the only games in town. (Other alternatives include an RSA-approved product called RIPEM.) Even then, many users may stick to PGP. ‘PEM is technically cleaner but is bogged down in bureaucracy – for instance, before you use PEM you must first register a key with something called a policy certification authority,’ says crypto-activist and Cypherpunk John Gilmore. ‘PGP is portable, requires no bureaucracy, and has more than a year’s head-start.'”
Biography:John Gilmore founded the Electronic Frontier Foundation with WELL (Whole Earth ‘Lectronic Link) members John Perry Barlow and Mitch Kapor in 1990 in direct response to a threat to free speech. He was also a founder of Cypherpunks. (Advocate/Voice of the People.)
Date of prediction: May 1, 1993
Topic of prediction: Communication
Subtopic: Security/Encryption
Name of publication: Wired
Title, headline, chapter name: Crypto Rebels
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/1.02/crypto.rebels_pr.html
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Lusk, James T.