what is the use of signing keys?

[Owen Blacker]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

Mark Brown wrote (2001-10-13 T 03:07 +0100):
>
> > So I have a signing key, with no encryption component, so I know
> > that it can't be seized under any circumstances.
>
> Is there anything technical preventing the signature key from being
> used for encryption other than stuff like option flags?

The key has no encryption subkey, it was revoked immediately on
creation.

   bash-2.02$ gpg --list-keys -v 647562393E2056B9
   pub  1024D/3E2056B9 2001-09-02 Owen Blacker <SIGNATURE KEY ONLY>
   sig        3E2056B9 2001-09-02  Owen Blacker <SIGNATURE KEY ONLY>
   uid                            Owen Blacker <owen.blacker@wheel.co.uk>
   sig        3E2056B9 2001-09-02  Owen Blacker <SIGNATURE KEY ONLY>
   uid                            Owen Blacker <owen@flirble.org>
   sig        3E2056B9 2001-09-02  Owen Blacker <SIGNATURE KEY ONLY>
   uid                            Owen Blacker <owen@owens-place.org.uk>
   sig        3E2056B9 2001-09-02  Owen Blacker <SIGNATURE KEY ONLY>
   uid                            Owen Blacker <owenb@hotmail.com>
   sig        3E2056B9 2001-09-02  Owen Blacker <SIGNATURE KEY ONLY>
   uid                            Owen Blacker <owenfb@easynet.co.uk>
   sig        3E2056B9 2001-09-02  Owen Blacker <SIGNATURE KEY ONLY>
   sub  2048g/EC0283F0 2001-09-02 [expires: 2003-02-01]
   sig        3E2056B9 2001-09-02  Owen Blacker <SIGNATURE KEY ONLY>
   rev        3E2056B9 2001-09-02  Owen Blacker <SIGNATURE KEY ONLY>


O x
- -- 
Owen Blacker | Senior Software Developer and InfoSecurity Consultant
See http://www.owens-place.org.uk/pgp.html -- more about my PGP keys
Sig  0x3e2056b9 | 18cd 92aa 32aa 81b9 f5e8  c520 6475 6239 3e20 56b9
- --
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
 safety deserve neither liberty nor safety --Benjamin Franklin, 1759
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.0.6 (FreeBSD)
Comment: For info see http://www.gnupg.org

iD4DBQE7yCKcZHViOT4gVrkRAiWoAKDjn5sOgfS2+36b1mhpcQbIIgVuFwCXQnCB
EkubfVqAnJILywst1gXeWw==
=MhSM
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----