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Adi Shamir Prevented from Attending Crypto and Cryptology Conferences

catless.ncl.ac.uk

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Re: Adi Shamir Prevented from Attending Crypto and Cryptology Conferences

#41

Post by amirmc »

aviraldg wrote: post #32
cantrevealname wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How much you can relate to the title is very important -- even on HN. Look at the 3 submission titles on HN: (1) Cryptographer Adi Shamir Prevented from Attending NSA History Conference (2) How The Government Blocked An Expert From Attending Its Own Cryptology Symposium (3) Adi Shamir--the "S" in RSA encryption--Prevented from Attending US Crypto Talks Number 3 (this submission) is getting the exposure the story dese…

I find it difficult to believe that there are people who know about RSA, but not about Adi Shamir.

> I find it difficult to believe that there are people who know about RSA, but not about Adi Shamir.

I've heard of RSA (and DSA) and come across it every time I've needed a key pair (e.g for GitHub) but never thought what the letters stood for. Finding out the name of one of the people behind it is news to me.

Re: Adi Shamir Prevented from Attending Crypto and Cryptology Conferences

#42

Post by rburhum »

As somebody that has held six different US immigration statuses during a span of a couple of decades, I can almost assure you there is no malice behind this and just pure bureaucratic incompetence. I once had a paper that was supposed to arrive in three months take three years. What I learned is that going to the USCIS office after something is due and checking the status will make a difference since, for example, you can spot (common) routing errors with applications.

Re: Adi Shamir Prevented from Attending Crypto and Cryptology Conferences

#43

Post by farmdawgnation »

aviraldg wrote: post #32
cantrevealname wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How much you can relate to the title is very important -- even on HN. Look at the 3 submission titles on HN: (1) Cryptographer Adi Shamir Prevented from Attending NSA History Conference (2) How The Government Blocked An Expert From Attending Its Own Cryptology Symposium (3) Adi Shamir--the "S" in RSA encryption--Prevented from Attending US Crypto Talks Number 3 (this submission) is getting the exposure the story dese…

I find it difficult to believe that there are people who know about RSA, but not about Adi Shamir.

As many others have already said, I, too, am one of those guilty parties.

Re: Adi Shamir Prevented from Attending Crypto and Cryptology Conferences

#44

Post by arjunnarayan »

johnchristopher wrote: post #19
desigooner wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It occurs more often than people realise. My friend was in the US before he had to go out and get his H1B extended. He was stuck outside the country for about 5 months for "additional scrutiny". He got his undergrad, masters and Ph.D. in the US and worked in the area of chemical engineering + spent working 6 months in middle east on water filtration projects.

Didn't that make the headlines some months ago ? I remember something about a teacher writing on behalf of his student. "We give people top education and then prevent them from working in the US and this harms us".

Here's the letter the poster above was talking about: http://www.cs.jhu.edu/~ccb/publications/letter-to-the-presid...

Re: Adi Shamir Prevented from Attending Crypto and Cryptology Conferences

#45

Post by informatimago »

What is obvious is that "Adi Shamir" is a name of someone living in a country dominated by Islam, and further that person is known to work in cryptography, so he is obviously a terrorist trying to send secret orders to other terrorists. In any case, he's a PITA for the NSA and other good guys like that. What they should have done, is to give him a visa, and redirect his flight direct to Guantanamo for further interrogation.

A tad more seriously: it's because of all those scientists of all the ages, that they have this situation where mere peasants can travel all around the globe, and make bombs or pilot planes into buildings. In the good old time, if a peasant tried to escape, he was eaten by the wolfs in the hoods, or killed by the highwaymen, so they stayed put, and the most they could try to do was to bump the armor of the lord with their wooden forks.

So it seems only natural to try to restrict them like that (perhaps it's a little too late).

Re: Adi Shamir Prevented from Attending Crypto and Cryptology Conferences

#47

Post by [deleted] »

buro9 wrote: post #28

My visa takes a long while. Not quite as long as it took Adi Shamir, but long. On average it takes about 14 weeks to get a visa, but on occasion it has taken many many months. I've done the calculations, the worst-case scenario for the full process is 32 weeks. It's never actually taken that long, but it's not been far off. I remember having to explain to Microsoft that they needed to write a sponsor/supporting lette…

[deleted]

Re: Adi Shamir Prevented from Attending Crypto and Cryptology Conferences

#48

Post by JanezStupar »

I have been to the USA in the past. I would like to see more than I have seen and I would also like to participate in the wonderful US economy.

However upon the last visit I really took offence with the security theatre (that was in 2008 mind you and I am from a visa waiver country). Another factor is that USA chooses to not grant me a visa under which I start a business in the US under reasonable terms i.e. without constant fear of getting caught and deported and being put on lists.

It became a matter of pride. Now I will continue to avoid USA on principle.

Re: Adi Shamir Prevented from Attending Crypto and Cryptology Conferences

#49

Post by WizzleKake »

informatimago wrote: post #45

What is obvious is that "Adi Shamir" is a name of someone living in a country dominated by Islam, and further that person is known to work in cryptography, so he is obviously a terrorist trying to send secret orders to other terrorists. In any case, he's a PITA for the NSA and other good guys like that. What they should have done, is to give him a visa, and redirect his flight direct to Guantanamo for further interro…

Wat. He's from Israel.

...

Re: Adi Shamir Prevented from Attending Crypto and Cryptology Conferences

#50

Post by cantrevealname »

ra wrote: post #25

I think if the US must continue to have such draconian and onerous entry requirements they should offer a fast track or simplified program for persons of note to attend a specific event in their field. To not do so simply hinders the progress of human knowledge, or at least, it hinders the United States.

> fast track or simplified program for persons of note

There actually is a visa for Outstanding persons called O-1A: individuals with an extraordinary ability in the sciences, education, business, or athletics (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_visa).

I don't know if it's any faster to get it.

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