Quiet in the list...

[IanG]

Allen wrote:
> So I'll ask a question. I saw the following on another list:
> 
>>> >   I stopped using WinPT after is crashed too many times.
>>> >   I am now using Thunderbird with the Enigmail plugin
>>> >   for GPG interface. It works rather flawlessly and I've
>>> >   never looked back.
>>> > >   http://pgp.mit.edu:11371/pks/lookup?search=0xBB678C30&op=index
>>
>>
>> Yes, I regard the combination of Thunderbird + Enigmail + GPG as the
>> best existing solution for secure email.
> 
> What does anyone think of of the combo?


There are approximately these combos to achieve private 
email for the masses.

1.  GPG command line.  Will never achieve adoption.

2.  GPG + Engimail + Thunderbird.  Will never be totally 
robust because there is too much dependency.  Same as any 
similar combo.  So no widespread adoption.

3.  S/MIME.  Is so badly architectured that it can only be 
got going by neutering a lot of the assumptions, and that 
will take years of work.  Assuming everyone agrees, which 
they don't.  No widespread adoption possible.

4.  Skype.  Doesn't do email, but aside from that minor 
character flaw, it cracked everything else.  It's the best 
example of what it should look like.

5.  Browser solutions are cumbersome, but:  Hushmail versus 
gmail.  If google were to adopt hushmail, then this might 
work.  But, they won't.  They've passed the magic point 
where nose-thumbing at the state is part of the b-plan, and 
anyway, they *like* your data.  They are nothing without 
your data.

6.  Start from scratch.  Will take a long time, and only the 
larger projects have the resources to do this.  But, the 
larger projects are typically those that copy others 
architectures without thought.  See above.



All, strictly IMHO.  YMMV.  Private email for the masses 
isn't really in the foreseeable future.  The future is 
really moving towards newer architetures, email is old and 
tired.  Think mobile, chat and p2p directions.  But those 
guys are quite incremental in their improvements, so it will 
take a while.

(Yes, I know that's not the question you asked :)

iang

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