From: Tom.Jennings@f111.n125.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Tom Jennings)
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 92 19:23:48 PST
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: re: (fwd) A Silver Bullet to Limit Crypto?
Message-ID: <3613.2B045BBE@fidogate.FIDONET.ORG>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



 U> From: pmetzger@shearson.com (Perry E. Metzger)

 U> I don't see what the point of putting out mediocre things 
 U> is at all, given that good things exist. PGP is free 
 U> software. You need a good RSA implementation? There is one 
 U> out there already. Why put out crap when gold is available 
 U> and cheap? 

I don't think anyone has a desire to put bad things out there. My
comments were assuming the real-life context of FidoNet, where we
have a need to get people thinking about privacy, security, etc, and
our relationships and responsibilities to each other.

We *are* using PGP, which seems to be good software. Any "mediocrity"
or inherent flaws I was referring to were in key systems, and
suchlike. The social environment in FidoNet is completely different
from here. There will never be any directed training or committees to
define what a "proper" way to handle keys is, and even if there was,
the newbie sysop coming online in East Overshoe Alaska wouldn't even
hear about it, and would install what s/he finds available on the net.

All of our social/technical systems assume this chaotic environment.
It makes for some ahem interesting problems, but the robustness and
growth and innovation are pretty hot.

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