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On Tuesday 17 June 2003 02:31 pm, will hill wrote:
> That and it stands out like a sore thumb when you only take the trouble to
> encrypt 1% of your mail.

true. more encryption is better.  That's why I run everything I do through=
=20
ssh, ssl, or an IPSEC vpn ;).

> Let's see, the only person with access to the mail spooler on my computer
> is ... me.  If everyone ran their own mail and had TLS, everyone would ha=
ve
> end to end encryption.  Sure, admins here and there could see who I
> emailed, but that' not as important as them not getting at what I'm up to
> when I don't want them to know.

said it before and I'll say it again. TLS does not prevent admins on=20
intervening SMTP servers from making copies of your unencrypted emails.  Th=
at=20
is a fact. =20

> Some people don't think that's possible or practical.  They are correct
> only when they confine themselves to Microsoft and dial up limits.  Cable
> now reaches the majority of US homes.  There's no reason everyone could n=
ot
> have an always on connection with a fixed IP address.  Free software is

Also untrue.  IP address shortages are currently quite real.  There's nothi=
ng=20
wrong with DHCP per se.  It would be really nice if Cox would sell static=20
addresses which are essentially addresses reserved to your NIC MAC address =
in=20
the DHCP pool.  Did it with Charter. it was  actually easy for me to manage=
=2E =20
But the notion of static IPs for all is a little starry eyed.  DHCP actuall=
y=20
prevents some very real issues in cable.  For one, it helps prevent the rea=
l=20
problem of users stealing one another's static IPs.   By tying the IP to a=
=20
MAC address, there is some accountability and ability to prevent this theft=
=2E =20
And that is the tip of the iceberg.  Even if Cox does start selling consume=
r=20
static IPs, they will still be simply reserved DHCP addresses.  And that is=
 a=20
_good_ thing.

> That is the big problem here.  If you can't trust that your email is
> private, email loses much of it's value.

*chuckle*  If you believed that before this discussion, you were deluded. =
=20
Welcome to the real state of the internet today.  These protocols (as in=20
TCP/IP) were NOT designed with security/privacy in mind.=20

> you can secure IM but not email?  Why do people think that you need a rel=
ay
> for mail but not IM?

Because ITS NOT THE SAME PROTOCOLS.  And rewriting the global email transpo=
rt=20
protocols will take a LONG TIME to do.  TLS is not even close to the answer=
=20
for the long term and it's really not much of one for the short term.  TLS=
=20
for SMTP primarily exists for businesses.   It offers very little real valu=
e=20
for consumers.  It is not designed, nor is it capable of solving the proble=
m=20
you want to solve (global end-to-end) encryption of email.  You can conside=
r=20
that an opinion if you like.  But I'm going to assert that you really don't=
=20
have a  full and clear understanding of how email servers actually work.

=2D-=20
Scott Harney <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
"...and one script to rule them all."
gpg key fingerprint=3D7125 0BD3 8EC4 08D7 321D CEE9 F024 7DA6 0BC7 94E5

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