ADMIN:RFC: Extro 3 -- let's party!

Eugene Leitl (Eugene.Leitl@lrz.uni-muenchen.de)
Sat, 31 May 1997 19:15:24 +0200 (MET DST)


A slightly outlandish thought just came to me: why not using the Extro 3
convention as an opportunity to exchange PGP keys in a nonvirtual meet?
(Face2face contacts being still the most reliable form of communication).
(Mental note for the future: meetings in the flesh are obligatory, but
certainly tedious, proper bandwidth and appropriate infrastructure at a
central location provided, organized future virtual meetings (avatar,
audio, and possibly video feed, area for document (text, gfx, VRML,
whatever) presentation) in a VR environment appear both implementable and
worthwhile. An "Invisible College", and a "Ye Olde Black Sun Lounge and
Pool Club" might both provide a motivation focus, a means of socializing
and might generate unfathomable future spinoffs (enhanced GUIs, &c &c). I
am tight on time currently, but I sure would like to work on this
nonprofit, starting sometime next year. Linux/Java seem the most obvious
implementation platforms. Please offer your comments.

I cannot really rationalize why particularly crypto (hey, just because you
are paranoid it doesn't mean they are not really after you), but the PGP
key swap party might possibly be of 1) future administrative use for the
list 2) install a more or less secure bootstrap channel for unspecified
future bricabrac transfer 3) current strong crypto ban possibly impending,
be a non-negligeable libertarian attitude display 4) substitute this point
for your favourite neoludd nightmare.

It would seem to be a good thing if the Extropy Institute (EI) would
generate and distribute among participant sone key for secure all->EI
link. See no much use for the reverse direction, but still see no harm in
doing this also.

As I am really clueless about crypto, knowlegeable persons please step
forth and comment.

ciao,
'gene