Yo! Pete:
Tuesday August 20 1996 00:21, Pete Hopping wrote to Bill Cheek:
 BC>> No, but what if three or four "Pete Hopping's" start posting hither
 BC>> and yon? What if orders are placed in your name?
 PH> Some verification of authenticity can be found in the origin line.
 PH> Not much, I admit, but some.
Some.  But only because the BBS where you log on probably does not allow two 
identical names in the registry.  Nevertheless, another "Pete Hopping" could 
easily log on elsewhere and frolick to his heart's content.  In your name.
 PH>> PGP has no place in FidoNet echomail.
 BC>> Well, that could be.  But no matter what we think of it, security for
 BC>> telecoms is on the way......and it is not likely that Fido will
 BC>> continue to plow its furrows with a horse.
 PH> Well, Fido would have to get much more commercial than it now is, I
 PH> think, before PGP sigs would have a valid purpose. Ordering stuff
 PH> via Fido is currently not permitted under Policy 4, from what I can
 PH> figure out by reading it. Commercialism is frowned upon...ie:
 PH> doing regular business on Fido. (casual sales depend on echo rules.)
Commerce is pretty much up to the Moderator.  It is not a Fido issue within a 
rather wide range of reason.  As far as "valid" is concerned, that is not an 
issue, either. "Validity" is a lot like "beauty" - it exists in the eye of 
the beholder.  For example, there is no "valid" reason for taglines, but I do 
not prohibit them.
 BC>> SO what about taglines?  Is a tagline a less of a waste than a
 BC>> digital sig?
 PH> Taglines are normally limited to one line, right? Even adding the
 PH> origin line and tearline and software version line doesn't come
 PH> close to taking up the space that a PGP sig takes.
So?  Most quoting takes more space than the message.  The headers and footers 
of a message often take more bandwidth than the message itself..  This simply 
is not an issue.  Each message reader/editor has its own built-in size limit, 
typically 64-kb, but it does vary.......and that is enough of a limitation 
without trying to spell out how many characters and spaces each poster is 
entitled to.
We won't be using bandwidth and cost of moving mail as an issue.....same as 
we won't condescend to 2400-bps modems and PC/XT computers.  Yes, there are a 
lot of issues in this old world.....including concrete highways that 
prematurely wear out the iron rims on buggy and covered wagon wheels.
I really do want to see arguments AGAINST allowing digital signatures in this 
echo, but I prefer to see sum and substance of meaning.  In a word, I am 
AGAINST forcing our children to wear uniforms in school.  Likewise, I am 
against uniformity in our communications.
But Fidonet says there has to be some rules for echo administration, so we 
will have a few.  Now why should digital signatures not be permitted?  I 
understand issues of bandwidth and cost (for some hardware and software), but 
these will not sway my decision.  I want something of impact to sway it.
Bill Cheek | Internet: bcheek@cts.com | Compu$erve: 74107,1176
Windows 95 Juggernaut Team | Microsoft MVP | Moderator - SCANRADIO
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