Bob (really Jack) sees this, decides to offer a deal, encrypts it with her public key (a one-time public key, used just for this deal), and used anonymous remailers to post it in place she is sure to see it (the same newsgroup, for example, or in one of Miron Cuperman's "pools," or in "alt.w.a.s.t.e," etc.). Bob also includes a public key she can use to communicate with him.
The problem is, unless you're very careful about distributions and such, you can easily clog the net with zillions of public-key-encryptions to alt.security.pgp.messages <grin>. But then again, I suppose it's not any more traffic than alt.sex.pictures.erotica.* generates. :) It would be trivial to write a script to be put in your .login to automatically skim that newsgroup for anything encrypted with your public key. Hmmm... -- Ed Carp, N7EKG erc@apple.com 510/659-9560 anon-2133@twwells.com If you want magic, let go of your armor. Magic is so much stronger than steel! -- Richard Bach, "The Bridge Across Forever"