PGP problems

[Trevor Smith]

On Fri, 4 Aug 2000 15:47:17 -0700 (PDT), Froggyball wrote:

>As I said before, even if I send out 100% of my e-mails encrypted,
>approximately 100% of the people I normally communicate with would refuse
>to install/use PGP, even assuming they knew how to, so I would simply be
>wasting my time. I could put up a web page, I could send them all detailed

Actually, it's sort of a chicken-egg thing. You *could not* send out
encrypted email if people refused to install PGP. You *must* have
their public key -- which they must generate when they install/set up
PGP -- to encrypt an email to them.

So, if you're right and 100% of people won't install PGP, you're 100%
off the hook. It's not your fault if they won't generate and send you
PGP keys.

>instructions on how to do it, I could offer to go over and install PGP for
>them. They would still refuse, I am sure! I have no blackmail material to
>force them to do it.

On the other hand, you might be exaggerating a bit. And, there are
many here who already have PGP installed so there are *some* people
who you could theoretically use PGP with if you ever had the urge to
do so.

Regardless, the issue is not whether or not everyone you know has PGP
installed. Of course they do not.

The issue is will *YOU* install PGP? If you do then some other person
at some future date will not have the same excuse you now have
because he will have *YOU* to correspond with via PGP-encrypted mail.

The longest journey begins with the first step.

>(Nor do I care. Not yet anyways. I do not want anyone reading my e-mail,
>nor do I think it is appropriate for them to do so, but I cannot envision
>any harm or embarassment or loss of reputation from anyone doing so

Shrug. It's your life. But if you don't want someone reading your
mail, there is a mechanism that can prevent it: PGP. Give it a whirl
sometime, you might like it.

>either. And what does this have to do with freedom???? As far as I know,
>at least in this country, I can run out on the street and shout almost
>anything I want without persecution. Anything I personally care say in
>private, I can say in public without fear of censor or imprisonment).

LOL. :-) Without fear of imprisonment maybe, but if you think anyone
can say anything he likes without fear of persecution, you're wrong.
We all only avoid persecution by merit of our insignificance.


-- 
 Trevor Smith          |          trevor@haligonian.com
 PGP public key available at: www.haligonian.com/trevor