Re: [Membership] Comments

[Jeff Williams <jwkckid1@ix.netcom.com>]

James and all,

James Seng wrote:

> At 08:43 PM 29-04-99 +0100, Jeff Williams wrote:
> >Steve and all,
> >
> >  Digital Signatures or CERTS are not replicatable, so not to worry..  >;)
>
> Digital Signatures has been in existence for nearly (over?) 10yrs now.
> However, how many of us _really_ use PGP as our digital signature? *heck*,
> I havent even seen one email message on the list which is digitally signed!

  First PGP is not a Digital certificate. PGP=pretty good protection. PKI
or Digital Certs, such as what verisign provides as a third party
Certificate Authority, is an example if you will of a Digital Certificate.
And I have used mine on this very mailing list on more than one occasion.
Review archives for more information.

>
>
> No, I agree digital signature is a good form of authentication. It is
> excellent form of verification especially during voting process which the
> recommandation wish to be conducted online.

  Exactly.  But PGP is not an example of a Digital Certificate.

>
>
> However, the amount of awareness and education we need to instil in a
> typical net user is huge. Not to mention that encryption is actually
> illegal in some countries.

  Very few countries is the usage of Digital Certificates not legal.  In
fact ALL of the EU countries not only recommend it for ecommerce but are
in process of requiring it.  I posted this some time ago to this list as well.
Review archives for more information.

>
>
> Thus, whatever the case, there must be an alternative form of
> authentication. We cannot deny anyone from been an ICANN at-large member
> just because he is unable to figure out how to use public-secret key
> encryption or he is forbidded by law to use encryption.

  FIguring out how to use one is not a problem, they are practically
intuitive.  Acquiring a Digital certificate is not all that difficult either
in most of the free world.  And in fact you can acquire one in China,
a communist country.

>
>
> -James Seng

Regards,

--
Jeffrey A. Williams
CEO/DIR. Internet Network Eng/SR. Java/CORBA Development Eng.
Information Network Eng. Group. INEG. INC.
E-Mail jwkckid1@ix.netcom.com
Contact Number:  972-447-1894
Address: 5 East Kirkwood Blvd. Grapevine Texas 75208