1. If you are setting up servers, you don't need to transfer private keys anyway. You may want to transfer client public key to server, but that is absolutely u

1. If you are setting up servers, you don't need to transfer private keys anyway. You may want to transfer client public key to server, but that is absolutely unrelated to man-in-the-middle, paranoia or anything. 2. If you are setting up servers, you may want to transfer the server public (not private) key to client, but what's the point? Ssh/scp will do it for you anyway, and you already know the remote end public key fingerprint anyway -- since you are setting it up. So, no, "ultra-paranoid" doesn't explain the pastes in question. "Ultra-ignorant" does :)