GPG Key Signing

[Andrew Cowie]

On Sun, 2006-07-23 at 23:43 -0400, Evan Leibovitch wrote:

> My suggestion, to get the biggest "bang" for the event, would be to 
> combine the mechanics of signing and assurance with optional education 
> on the issue ...  the mundane mechanical bits of signing keys ...

As ever, the problem with such events is that the degenerate into
incoherency as people stumble about not knowing they are next, flash
their credit cards up on screen, etc - which all leads to something of
great value turning into mush. Usually these things are so painful that
people would rather just go to the pub instead - especially at the end
of a long day; if earlier, they are momentum killers.

As far as education goes, it's really worth helping people get through
the "what next" part of the learning curve. Most keysigning parties have
instruction documents that approximate the complexity required to launch
a Saturn V rocket. Not exactly appealing. It can be made comprehensible
without violating the completeness security requires.

++

Of late, I've found myself turning more to one- or two-on-one
keysignings - we both just whip our laptops out, get the other person's
key off the net in real time, cross verify fingerprints, cross verify
IDs, sign, then upload back to server. On the spot. Done. Granted this
reduces the network effects but on the other hand it does get them
processed faster than the ziplock bag of fingerprints that goes back
three conferences...

++

Sorry to have missed you all in Toronto last week, but TLUG had the
temerity not to have your meetings while I was there. Hrmph :)

AfC
Sydney

-- 
Andrew Frederick Cowie
Managing Director

Toronto relay:
   (416) 848 6072

http://www.operationaldynamics.com/
Management Consultants specializing in strategy,
organizational architecture, procedures to survive
change, and performance hardening for the people
and systems behind the mission critical enterprise.

Sydney  New York  Toronto  London
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