VLVL(6) - Rex Snuvvle (long)

[David Morris]

I've been trying to "decode" Rex Snuvvle's name.  "Rex" is easy, at least 
on the surface: "King", or maybe "Wrecks,"  or even "Rx" as in 
prescription.

"Snuvvle" is bizarre:  don't think it could be found in any phone book or 
dictionary.  The double "V" could be replaced by a "W," but where does that 
get you?  But Snuvvle sounds like "snuffle," a thing one does with the 
nose,  maybe after crying.  The "Sniffling King" may fit Rex, as he longs 
for the failed "authentic" cause, even as he shrinks from being its 
champion, preferring to be Weeds "teacher", and is annoyed at Weed's lack 
of initiative as the PR3's reluctant leader.

Another meaning of "snuffle" from:
http://swissnet.ai.mit.edu/6805/student-papers/fall95-papers/kokoski-cry  
pto.html

In 1990, Daniel J. Bernstein, a graduate student in mathematics at the 
University of California at Berkeley, designed Snuffle, a system which 
converts a one-way hash function into a zero-delay private-key encryption 
system, also known as a cipher. [snip]

Bernstein then decided that he wanted to publish his procedure in order to 
solicit academic opinions on the technique. His intent was to publish the 
algorithm, a paper describing and explaining the algorithm, and a computer 
program that runs the algorithm, in an international electronic conference 
known as "sci.crypt", which would initiate contact with the world's 
academic community. After consultation within the field, however, Bernstein 
discovered that he would need the permission of the State Department to 
publish his work, despite the fact that Snuffle was not developed for any 
government agency of with any government funding.

The reason that publication permission is required is that the government 
has designated cryptographic software as a 'munition' according to the 
International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). This essentially means 
that the government treats cryptography the same way it treats a physical 
weapon, and therefore regulates its distribution. Any individual or company 
that wishes to publish, or export, any such information must first obtain a 
license from the State Department. Each receiver of the licensed material, 
by the terms of the license, must be tracked and reported to the 
government, to insure that no foreign person receives the information. 
Penalties for violating these rules include a one million dollar criminal 
fine, ten years in jail, and civil fines.

In accordance with this policy, Bernstein wrote a letter to the Department 
of State on 30 June 1992, requesting Commodity Jurisdiction--essentially 
permission to export snuffle 5.0 [snip]

On 20 August of the same year, Bernstein received a response from William 
B. Robinson, Director of the Office of Defense Trade Controls. In it, 
Robinson relayed the Department of State's decision that Snuffle is subject 
to the licensing jurisdiction in accordance with ITAR. Robinson said: "This 
commodity is a stand-alone cryptographic algorithm which is not 
incorporated into a finished software product. As such, it is designated as 
a defense article under U.S. Munitions List Category XIII (b) (1). Licenses 
issued by this office are required prior to export." (Robinson, 8/20/92)

Based on this response, Bernstein was afraid that his paper about the 
algorithm was attached to the software and was denied for that reason, and 
therefore resubmitted five separate requests asking separately if he could 
publish the encryption source code, the decryption source code, an English 
explanation of how to encrypt, and English explanation of how to decrypt, 
and the original paper. The State Department combined and summarily denied 
all five requests. On 22 September 1993, Bernstein appealed his initial 
request. A response was never received from the State Department.

Me:
Snuffle code is presently available at a web site with a dire warning not 
to "export" the code.

Also:
Web search for "snuffle" also turned up this crazy coincidence:
http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/6332/7scrape.html
Steve Jackson's
Brockwatch Badger Pages
Photo File:  A Pit, Scrape or "Snuffle Hole" Dug by a Badger in Search of 
Food .

"In their search for worms and soil-dwelling grubs of beetles and moths, 
badgers often dig small pits, scrapes or 'snuffle holes' in the ground. 
These pits tend to be conical in shape, about 10 to 15 centimetres or more 
across, with material dug out on more than one side. Badger prints may 
sometimes be found in the excavated material."