IMHO - What you are really signing is the binding between the data associated with the key (usually an email address) and the key. You are saying that the secret key holder is (one of the) person(s) who has access to that account, and not some man in the middle in the middle. If you ask to see Lucky Green's, or Futplex's, or Black Unicorn's picture ID, you will either see a forgery or an ID issued by an organization not interested in birth certificates. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bill Frantz | The Internet was designed | Periwinkle -- Consulting (408)356-8506 | to protect the free world | 16345 Englewood Ave. frantz@netcom.com | from hostile governments. | Los Gatos, CA 95032, USA