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Re: ANNOUNCEMENT: SPKI mailing list and BOF at Los Angeles
Very nicely said, Perry, in particular:
> From: "Perry E. Metzger" <perry@piermont.com>
> > The point is that even if you admit to the faults that people
> > criticize ASN.1 for, it's still better than any other even
> > reasonably popular metalanguage.
>
> Again, I am not sure we *need* a metalanguage. We've come this far
> without one and we haven't suffered for it. Also, the assertion that
> ASN.1 is the best metalanguage would have to be rigorously defended --
> I think there are better ones out there.
>
We don't need a metalanguage; and bitter experience shows that there are
better ones out there.
> > Even if you can't stand the thought of ASN.1, introducing a
> > completely different encoding scheme would have to have almost
> > overwhelming advantages to make it worth the bother of having two
> > different and incompatible kinds of certificates formats at this
> > point in time.
>
> Were the problem compatibility, I would argue that PGP would have to
> be the certificate format of choice. Virtually everyone I correspond
> with has PGP and a PGP key certificate.
>
Me, too. And I've conducted key-signing parties for such diverse groups
as high school students and my local University Musical Society Chorus.
Folks understand Internet email names. They can grasp the PGP concepts.
They have a tough time with X.500 and X.509.
> wondering if the people actually understand the difference between
> "can be done given enough work" and "is easy, convenient, and even
> fun".
>
So true.
Bill.Simpson@um.cc.umich.edu
Key fingerprint = 2E 07 23 03 C5 62 70 D3 59 B1 4F 5E 1D C2 C1 A2