key question

[David Shaw]

On Feb 28, 2010, at 12:54 AM, MFPA wrote:

> On Saturday 27 February 2010 at 11:19:43 PM, you wrote:
> 
> 
> 
>> GnuPG doesn't, at least as of 1.4.10, force you to include an e-mail
>> address in your user ID.  It merely requests an e-mail address, and you
>> can just press enter and ignore the request.
> 
> In my opinion that's a step forward.
> 
> I'm convinced 1.4.9 would only do that in "expert" mode.

No, email addresses have been optional in GnuPG for as long back as I can recall.  It's certainly been true since version 1.0.6, back in 2001.

I don't recall the exact details for PGP on this point, but certainly the latest version allows you to skip the email address.  It'll ask you if you really want to make a key without an email address, but once you click "yes", you're free to do what you want.

David