Re: Other SMTP verification methods

Yakov Shafranovich wrote:

>
> Another issue is that trust is not binary like in PGP - it probably 
> have many possible values (maybe 1 to 100, in PGP its 1 - 5?).

Trust is more complicated.  It's a vector.  For example, I trust that 
the message you just sent actually came from you, just because the 
message content is very, well, you.  Also, because the message doesn't 
really ask me to do anything.

If you sent me a message asking me to send you $10.00, I probably would 
not trust that.

However, if I got a message from my daughter asking me to send her 
$500.00, I would probably trust that.  But I would not send my daughter 
my savings account number, even if there were a secure means to do so, 
because I don't trust her that far.

My conclusion is that trust is very complicated.  But we have to deal 
with identity first.  Suppose I got a message from somebody masquerading 
as my daughter?  Which is why my daugher and I do not do finances over 
E-mail.


Jeff