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Cyphernomicon 7.3

PGP -- Pretty Good Privacy:
Introduction


    7.3.1. Why does PGP rate its own section?
           - Like Clipper, PGP is too big a set of issues not to have
              its own section
    7.3.2. "What's the fascination in Cypherpunks with PGP?"
           - Ironically, our first meeting, in September 1992, coincided
              within a few days of the release of PGP 2.0. Arthur Abraham
              provided diskettes of 2.0, complete with laser-printed
              labels. Version 2.0 was the first truly useful version of
              PGP (so I hear....I never tried Version 1.0, which had
              limited distribution). So PGP and Cypherpunks shared a
              history--and Phil Zimmermann has been to some physical
              meetings.
           - A practical, usable, understandable tool. Fairly easy to
              use. In contrast, many other developments are more abstract
              and do not lend themselves to use by hobbyists and
              amateurs. This alone ensures PGP an honored place (and
              might be an object lesson for developers of other tools).
    7.3.3. The points here focus on PGP, but may apply as well to
            similar crypto programs, such as commercial RSA packages
            (integrated into mailers, commercial programs, etc.).
  

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