Large Scale Implementation of PGP

[James Still <still@kailua.colorado.edu>]

> Does anyone have any experience/advice w/ this tpye of large scale
> implementation of PGP? I know the need to encrypt most of the messages
> will be small, but I think it is important to get these people so
> familar w/ encryption, they won't be scared and will defend it when
> the need arises.

Bravo!  Widespread use of PGP now is analogous to Ben Franklin's pre-
revolutionary attempts at setting up and popularizing a post office.  People
are interested, but aren't ready to take the initiative and accept "new"
ideas.

If I might put in a selfish plug, get ahold of PGPSHEL2.ZIP at the
soda.berkeley.edu site and give it to co-workers and "Windows types"
(you all know who those newcomers are :-)  ) who are vaguely interested
in secure communications.  I've discovered that non-DOS folks will let
PGP sit on their hard drives for months without exploring it, but once they
use PGPShell, begin taking an active interest in what PGP is and does.

With all the discussion about what the difference is between Usenet and
BBS's, this is probably an important difference as well.  BBS users are
still enamored with the *concept* of public key encryption, while the more
experienced Usenet users take it for granted.  They know there's something
going on "up there" but aren't too sure what all this PGP talk is all about.

The BBS users are an excellent place to "spread the word" about
encryption and shouldn't be ignored.  With their help encryption will be
as normal and every day as the post office is today.