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I think it is true that PGP is too hard to use for the majority of users. Any kind of end-to-end encryption practically prevents a web interface, since decrypti

by snazz 8y ago

I think it is true that PGP is too hard to use for the majority of users. Any kind of end-to-end encryption practically prevents a web interface, since decrypting in JavaScript is little better than decrypting at the web server. I’ve been thinking a lot about secure, end-to-end encrypted email replacements and have grappled with many of the same questions that Open Whisper Systems (the makes of Signal) had to think about. A centralized solution favors convenience, and will likely bolster adoption, while a decentralized solution will probably be harder to use and so won’t build its critical mass of users. The person who comes up with a distributed, decentralized, end-to-end encrypted email-killer receiving broad adoption deserves some kind of very prestigious award.

lucb1e 8y ago
It doesn't have to be JavaScript. In my immediate family and colleagues, everyone uses either Thunderbird or, in cases of my dad, MS Outlook. Some friends use webmail, but nevertheless, an open source client is super common. An addon can do pgp there. Which is not to say it's not too hard. As my parents age, I notice their capacity for understanding new things decreases. It's not just technology, also games with new logic that they haven't seen before takes a while to grasp. Sometimes I feel like I'm talking to a four year old except that they understand and remember everything that existed 20 years ago. How they are ever to understand the concept of encryption, I don't know, let alone find the buttons to import a key from key servers. For people below ~50yo, however, enigmail shouldn't be beyond them. The issue is that they don't know why they should care and therefore don't take the time to learn what it is.