Encrypted mailing lists?

David I. Emery die at dieconsulting.com
Thu Aug 22 19:05:59 PDT 2013


On Thu, Aug 22, 2013 at 09:50:32PM -0400, alex wright wrote:
> I can't imagine trusting enough people that I can't see to necessitate a
> mailing list.  It would certainly be neat, though.

	Neat but pretty pointless...

	You not only have to trust in the integrity and commitment to
your cause and resistance to blackmail and being turned of each and
every member, you ALSO have to trust them to be highly skilled at
maintaining the security and integrity of the node they read the
messages on.   

	So not only do you need highly trusted and trustworthy folks to
communicate with, you need very technically competent and careful ones
who will not make mistakes with node security and whose lives and
circumstances allow them to take the required precautions.

	I suspect finding enough of the latter is actually harder than
finding enough of the former...

	And as for OPEN or PUBLIC mailing lists subject to completely
anonymous/pseudonymous  or weakly vetted subscription - the purpose of
encryption would only seem to be to trap fools.   Any serious adversary
has the means to clandestinely subscribe nearly untraceably, and if they
care most will.  And obviously then the encryption only encourages loose
talk and carelessness that an open list would tend to suppress. 


-- 
  Dave Emery N1PRE/AE, die at dieconsulting.com  DIE Consulting, Weston, Mass 02493
"An empty zombie mind with a forlorn barely readable weatherbeaten
'For Rent' sign still vainly flapping outside on the weed encrusted pole - in 
celebration of what could have been, but wasn't and is not to be now either."




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