E-Mail Encryption: Why Isn't Everyone Doing It?

[David Picón Álvarez]

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Hi,

This seems to be quite a controversial topic, so I'll add my little thoughts
on the matter.
Graham wrote:

> No, they are adequate for encryption and signing, decryption and
> verifying emails, nothing more.  I have not yet seen any MUA which
> would allow me to locally sign a key and update trust....which are
> "necessary" GPG functions

Now, I agree that encrypt/decrypt and sign/verify are not the only things
you need to do with gnupg. However, I must say, it is completely alien to my
sense of design to put those things in a MUA. The use of a MUA is to ssend
and receive e-mail and interface with things like gnupg or s/mime or things
that in some way "touch" the mail so you don't have to do it yourself. A MUA
is not a PKI solution. Now you can say: "says who?". Maybe it would be nice
to have it all intergrated, but I doubt it. One of the main differences in
design philosophy between Windows and Unix lies in the way tools are
conceived. An ideal Unix tool is small, well specified, does one thing and
does it well. Whereas in Windows it's sometimes hard to see where a tool
begins and another ends. This is not good. Monolithic systems have serious
disadvantages.

> The original question is: why isn't everybody encrypting or signing
> mails, and the original poster indicated that the interface was
> confusing.  I expressed a view that (in Windows) the interface is
> adequate but in Linux it is far from adequate.  Because most users of
> GPG in Linux use the CLI at present (indeed they have to for most
> things), it doesn't mean that its adequate or that more people wouldn't
> use it through a GUI.  I personally think people are entitled to the
> choice, and I would like to see a GUI front end for GPG in Linux
> through which ALL the functions of GPG are accessed.

Let us recapitulate here. 1) You think the Windows interface is adequate. 2)
You think the Linux interface is not. Let us pose this question: what's the
proportion of Windows gnupg users against Linux gnupg users? Obviously,
considering the difference in market share. I hope the point is seen. Most
Linux users, at least most of those I know, aren't bothered by CLIs and use
them extensively. Moreover, to use the word confusing on a CLI is an
incredible overstatement.


And I leave you with a quotation, I don't remember from who:

"The only truly intuitive interface is the nipple. Everything else must be
learnt"


--David.



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