From: DANIEL CHARPENTIER <drcharpe@hamlet.uncg.edu>
Date: Wed, 6 Dec 95 11:07:07 PST
To: cypherpunks <cypherpunks@toad.com>
Subject: Re: PGP
In-Reply-To: <199512061853.MAA17582@spirit.sctc.com>
Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.91.951206135618.5233A-100000@hamlet>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


On Wed, 6 Dec 1995, david d `zoo' zuhn wrote:

> Also, you can have keys that are too large.  Do you want to take hours to
> encrypt a simple file, just because you have a 30000 bit key?  Do you
> expect your recipients to take the same amount of time (or more) to
> decrypt it?
> The tradeoff between cost & security is probably too high in that case (I
> surely wouldn't bother to decrypt anything you sent me if I had to wait
> hours or more).

    Now be practical.  You do have options.  Just because you have the 
capability to encrypt with a 30000 bit key does NOT mean that it is
mandated that you encrypt with a 30000 bit key.  The reason that cypherpunks
is even in existence is that sometimes privacy is a must.  Sometimes
you want to make sure that a common thief can not read your files and 
others you want to make sure the N.S.A. can not read your files.  This
is not in dispute.  We all know this.  Having the option is comforting ( in
my opinion of course ).