Re: The introduction problem and signatures, was Thinking outside the box

On Tue 19/Mar/2013 14:02:49 +0100 Bill Cole wrote:
> On 18 Mar 2013, at 17:51, John R. Levine wrote:
> 
>> Since S/MIME has been around for 15 years, and is implemented in
>> most MUAs including the one you use, why don't we do that?  What
>> would have to change so we do?
> 
> People.
> 
> Someone has to say it directly: the overwhelming bulk of end users are
> unwilling (and perhaps to a substantial degree unable) to apply the
> necessary sort of rigorous mental effort to use PGP or S/MIME in a
> consistently sound manner.
> 
> More direct but probably unfair: end users chronically demonstrate in
> aggregate that they are a mob of idiots who would rather tolerate
> insecurity than think.

+1, people don't have to be technically skilled to use email.

By having MSAs signing mail on people's behalf, DKIM solved that
problem.  For an OT parallel, don't we have similar issues with
universal suffrage, I mean falling victim of phishing?  Mailbox
providers should play a role corresponding to that of political
parties, that is, to compensate lack of skill in a trusted manner.