An inquiring mind wants to know

[Michael Edward Marotta <mercury@well.sf.ca.us>]

(This is for an article in the 1994 Loompanics catalog.)
 
You are familiar with PGP and RIPEM, right?.  Jim Bidzos told me 
about RIPEM when I asked him about PGP.  (I wasn't too interested 
in his relationship -- or lack of one -- with Phil Z.  I was more 
interested in RSA and the Feds.)  So, since Mark Riordan was in 
my back yard, I called him and got a good interview and also his 
mailer.  I got it on a unix system I have an account on and he 
sent me an MS-DOS version.  I also talked with Phil Zimmermann.  
In fact, I talked to him first.  I got PGP from a BBS operator I 
know via libernet@dartmouth.edu and I have played with it.  I've 
also tried RIPEM.
 
I don't know about you guys, but I find PGP much easier to use.  
RIPEM has all the hallmarks of unix wizardry.  It is poorly 
documented.  The interface is difficult.  It grew in ways the 
designer never contemplated.  And I haven't even RUN anything 
yet...  Mark told me that it was primarily a MAILER.  OK, I can 
accept that.  But I just don't see it catching on.  PGP, on the 
other hand, shows all the evidences of shareware.  It's hard to 
comment on the obvious.  
 
So, I assume that I am in the normal range for a netrunner.  I 
typically log in to fidonet bbses from home.  I have a PC clone.  
I have had accounts on CompuServe, Prodigy and Delphi.  I have a 
couple of email addresses.  I can't see myself using RIPEM.  I 
can indeed see myself using PGP.
 
Here are my questions:
How do you relate to the above?  
Do you see "everyone" on the Net happy as clams with privacy-
   enhanced mailers?  
Do you expect more people to find out about and rely on PGP?  
Do you see something else working here that I haven't perceived?
 
 
 
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Mike Marotta