Timothy C. May: Lest Thou Forget

Some see cryptocurrencies as a new form of money, but perceiving them this way would be a mistake. This article has been written in honor of Timothy C. May, who recently passed away. A person of great influence in advocating encryption, personal privacy, civil liberties and the right to retain anonymity.

Timothy C. May, one of the founding members of the Cypherpunk movement, wrote about the consequences of a digital dictatorships led by governments if we were to lose sight of our liberties. The famous “The Crypto Anarchist Manifesto” written by Tim May in 1992, is a luminous example.

Parts of May’s vision of the future manifested with the birth of decentralized, permission-less, open-source, publicly accessible cryptocurrencies.

We shouldn’t put those in the same category as centralized, permissioned, patented, closed-source, private third-party controlled blockchains, digital currencies or distributed ledger technologies (DLT’s). This is a good time to reflect on Bitcoins original Latin motto as suggested by a user on Bitcointalk in 2011: “Vires in Numeris” meaning “Strength in Numbers”.

“I can’t speak for what Satoshi intended, but I sure don’t think it involved bitcoin exchanges that have draconian rules about KYC, AML, passports, freezes on accounts and laws about reporting “suspicious activity” to the local secret police. There’s a real possibility that all the noise about “governance,” “regulation” and “blockchain” will effectively create a surveillance state, a dossier society...

Be interested in liberty and the freedom to transact and speak to get back to the original motivations. Don’t spend time trying to make government-friendly financial alternatives.” — Timothy C. May, CoinDesk, 2018

May lived through a time when government agencies were trying to battle encryption, and emergent encrypted channels of communication similar to what is now standard in applications such as Signal and Telegram.

In response to this, government agencies proposed the introduction of a piece of hardware which would create the illusion of encryption whilst allowing them to have a backdoor for surveillance purposes. May’s warnings — which now seem more like prophecies — are becoming increasingly relevant today. In an email written in 1994, he wrote the following:

“They’ll cite the “unpopular” uses: kiddie porn nets, espionage, selling of trade secrets (especially to “foreigners”), the bootlegging of copyrighted material, “digital fences” for stolen information, liquid markets in liquidations, and on and on. They won’t mention a basic principle of western civilization: that just because _some_ people mis-use a technology that is no reason to bar others.

Just because some people mis-use camcorders to film naked children is no reason to ban cameras, camcorders, and VCRs. Just because some folks mis-use free speech is no reason to ban free speech. And just because some will mis-use encryption — in the eyes of government — is not a good reason to ban encryption.” — Timothy C. May, Re: Blacknet worries, 1994

If we reflect on this and compare it to current events — we are bombarded with similarly themed warning from governments and agencies — we can see the significance of May’s research and foresight.

In his memory I shall write

There are those who, despite all challenges and difficulties, seek to shape the world in a way that future generations can respect and honor.

For our liberties would be short lived should we mistakenly forget the sacrifices made by those before us. We mustn’t forget the people who did their best to sharpen our poorly tuned senses, easily distracted by power, fame and glory.

It is far too easy to lose sight of our path when following those who have been partially blinded. Should we ourselves become blinded, we will follow those who seem to provide a way, not knowing the consequences of such misdirection.

As the ancient wisdom told in the religious text of Genesis Rabba: “בשוק סמייא צווחין לעווירא סגי נהור”. This translates to “In the street of the blind, the one-eyed man is called the Guiding Light”.

We should always do our best to ensure that what we seek will serve humanity as a whole, its purpose duly resonating with our collective progression. Not fragmented to appear whole yet stripped of its powers, as today seems to be the case for the original purpose of cryptocurrencies, without which crypto will lead to greater suppression rather than liberation.

Tim May did his best to place liberty above personal gain. Despite having the knowledge and opportunities for self-glorification and personal gains, he stood by his values. His work shaped the minds of many people, and future generations will be grateful for his contribution.

“Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes saw, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life; but make them known unto thy children and thy children’s children;” The Bible (ASV), Deuteronomy 4:9

I asked a friend — known advocate of the Cypherpunk movement, Cryptohippie, author of “A Lodging of Wayfaring Men” — Paul Rosenburg to share some words in the memory of Timothy C. May:

“So often in history, the names of the true innovators are lost. I am deeply grateful that the name of Timothy C. May will not be one of them.

Whatever his flaws (and we’ve all had them), Tim put together the fundamental pieces that are now, finally, spawning a better world. The position of “the first to see” is one that requires thankless years of preparation, the good sense to learn everything possible from those before us, and the courage to act… all in the face of a world that is unlikely to appreciate it.

That is precisely what Timothy C. May did. And it was a tremendous gift to us all.

Not all of us are as naturally gifted as Tim, but whatever our gifts, may we all be inspired by his example to /use/ them.” Paul Rosenburg, 2018

Thank you Timothy May, you honored us with your life, work and thoughts. May you rest in peace, as your contributions live on.

Picture from Pexels.