Dear Cypherpunks, Ok I have been interacting now with the list for 2 months now in order to have circumvented what I am about to ask. I figured if I just pay attention to what all the chat is about I could figure out how to "casually" implement PGP and anon remailers into my daily routine..which is one of the objectives of the list or is it?? I have read the documentation, and I tried to compile the pgp2.3a on the convex but then I decided I had better keep all the secret stuff at home and not on the remote time share computer. HOwever I need to know some practical answers before I get going...and please respond as a layman please...I am not holding a contest for elliptical jargon users to show off. Having created a military grade secret key, where do I go from there. 1. I need public keys....how to get them? How to have them certified? How to certify the certifications? 2. I use PC DOS ( I have the Beta version of PGP2.3a for windows but it does not seem to work well if at all...). So with my pgp23a for DOS I want to write a letter....use a text editor? probably. So how should Save as the file ? Do I need a suffix especially for PGP? 3. Uploading is a bitch as our Kermit (yes we do not have zmodem and the server sports a 9600 baud top speed...what a pile of crap but it is PHREE.) ... as our Kermit server glitches most things sent. Hence the letter will be worthless by the time it gets to its destination. I hear about emacs and mime and other other goodies....how can I use these or should I bother? 4. Given that I have successfully encrypted how do I know it worked? I mean is it at all possible that my copy of pgp was tainted such that it looks encrypted but someone tacked on a backdoor to my downloaded version of PGP? 5. Now then given a successful upload how do I mail it? I use elm and vi is the default editor (VI=vile for novices) how do I pull up the file into the mailer via VI? Ok. 6. to recieve a letter just tell me the reverse...by the way I do not have problems downloading only uploading...everyone on our host who uses a modem instead of the newly installed campus LAN (which means anyone who has a life and needs more room than a shoebox sized dormroom). EXTRA note : The dorms at Tulane University got rewired for the new school year. It almost makes me want to go back to school _and_ live in the dorms. You see they put coax to all the rooms which has integrated the library catalog,cablevision with 32 channels (a hack infiltrated already and gave everyone PLAYBOY channel for 2 days...just imagine all the freshmen glued to the set.), and on the same cable we have IP access to the net though if you set up your ownnode it can only be temporary,,,they figured out a way to enforce this. Kind of makes drool as I am stuck with copper wire phone lines in a 100 year oldapartment building with my 2400 baud modem...the kids today get all the breaks! LOKI PS send all responses to me privately please loki@convex1.tcs.tulane.edu subject:LOKI:USE YOUR PGP COPY!!!