Why you should not use PGP

[Malte Gell]

Don't you see how absurd it is to discuss on a GnuPG list not to use PGP=20
? Why don't you go to e.g. alt.security.pgp ? If you want to encourage=20
people to use GnuPG then you'll have to explain PGP users why they=20
should drop PGP. Explaining GnuPG users why not to use PGP is just=20
absurd, especially since most of us are running some kind of Unix where=20
GnuPG is the best choice anyway. I guess many people in this list even=20
may not use PGP any longer since GnuPG is there, so here's nobody you=20
have to encourage to drop PGP in favour of GnuPG.

> The problem with PGP is not in the product. The
> problem is that thus far, no one has been able to make
> a business of PGP.

True

> Given the tumultuous past
> of PGP, it is doubtful whether PGP will exist by the
> time you want to decrypt your documents. OTOH, GnuPG
> will always exist; and so will other components of the
> Gnu suite that are needed to compile it.

That's false. Nobody knows, whether GnuPG will still exist in 20 or 30=20
years, nobody knows whether GNU will still be available on the machines=20
we use in 20 years. I agree, the chance with GNU is much higher that it=20
*might* still be there in decades, but theres no guarantee.

If you have data that really need such a protection for decades than you=20
need a concept that requires more than just the possibility to compile=20
GnuPG in some decades...


> Thus, friends, I urge you to not download the latest
> version of PGP.

This is really sick. Of course I will download it in order to check how=20
compatible it is with GnuPG and to help PGP 8 users to migrate to=20
GnuPG, I could only help such a user if I know PGP 8 then I could help=20
him/her to move his/her keys to GnuPG.

There's a wide compatibility between the newer versions of PGP and=20
GnuPG, I guess there will be no major problems if people migrate to=20
GnuPG at later time.

The most heard argument of MS Windowse users not to use GnuPG is the=20
lack of a shiny Windows GUI, if they stay with PGP 8 they'll get this=20
and will get support for plugins for popular Win software, they won't=20
get this support for GnuPG at this time. You claim that GnuPG's=20
availability will be guaranteed for decades, maybe, but at the very=20
same time there's nobody to guarantee that Windows users will be=20
provided with plugins for their preferred software... as long as=20
there's no perfect Windows support, including availability plugins and=20
a "perfect" GUI, they won't change to GnuPG.

But as long as PGP and GnuPG will be compatible more or less it just=20
doesn't matter what they use. I say "they", because GnuPG is already=20
prefered on Unix platforms, if you talk about PGP then you talk about=20
MS Windos. As long as GnuPG is GPL'ed it will have the advantages you=20
mentioned, but as long as there is compatibility to PGP it won't matter=20
what to use.
But...maybe in a few years PGP Corp. is deceased again and if there is=20
perfect Windows integration for GnuPG then GnuPG's great chance may=20
come.