[Mailman-Developers] Re: [Mailman-Announce] RELEASED Mailman 2.1 beta5

[Chuq Von Rospach]

On Tuesday, November 19, 2002, at 10:02  PM, Phil Barnett wrote:

> As far as I can see, there's only one reason. The server is locking 
> the client
> into passing plaintext passwords around the planet without an 
> alternative.

give me a nice, usable encryption system that doesn't require a masters 
degree to use, and we'll use it. But don't ask a mailing list server to 
invent it and the infrastructure to make it work.

> The server is the only appropriate location to offer this capability.
> Modifying the client will never make this capability available.

no, but without client support and an infrastructure to make it usable, 
it makes no sense to put it in the server. And it's not the server's 
job to lead that development. IMHO, of course.

>> Explain why it's the server's responsibility to go first here?
>
> I'm not sure that I agree that there are no mail clients that went 
> first.
>
> Every mail client that I've used on both Linux and Windows supports 
> GPG or PGP
> for several years. (when I've had a choice of which mail client to use)

you and the other 50 geeks out there. What about normal people, like 
the 93% of the universe on windows or macs?

> Because we're sending passwords in plaintext. That alone is enough 
> reason.

not IMHO.


-- 
Chuq Von Rospach, Architech
chuqui@plaidworks.com -- http://www.plaidworks.com/chuqui/blog/

Very funny, Scotty. Now beam my clothes down here, will you?