While I was aware of PGP's already deployed double meaning for the
"preferred keyserver" field (being both a preferred keyserver and "use
PGP/MIME" flag), I did not want my proposal to be interpreted as an
indictment of that method and so did not discuss it. A desire to
avoid confict with that already deployed method is why there is an
entire paragraph of bending backwards in my proposal to insist that
programs can use any heuristics they want to determine PGP/MIME usage.
PGP would be completely compliant even if it ignored the proposed flag
altogether.
Nevertheless, some comments:
On Fri, Apr 16, 2004 at 02:24:38AM -0700, Will Price wrote:
Thus, we would have no use for such a flag (if you had posted your
message two years ago, that would be a different answer). I don't
anticipate any major email scenarios in the future which will not
support at least the decoding of PGP/MIME. PGP products either do now
or will use this flag in the way indicated above. Since most GPG front
ends already require PGP/MIME and often set this flag on keys, the
waters are already moving in the proper direction.
Unfortunately, this is not true. No version of GnuPG sets the
"preferred keyserver" flag on keys. It is a feature scheduled for
1.4, but only exists on my laptop at this moment.
While this was a bit of a hack, the facts on keys in the field match
the usage of the attribute and all signs point to that continuing. I
believe over the next two years we will find that the remaining
deployed population unable to decode PGP/MIME will have dwindled to
insignificant levels.
I believed that as well, back in 1996. I believed it again in 1998,
and so on. ;) Here we are in 2004, and I still can't send PGP/MIME to
many correspondants.
As recently as two years ago, I sent PGP/MIME mail to Philip
Zimmermann. He was unable to read it.
Note that I am not arguing against using PGP/MIME. I use it whenever
I can, and I honestly believe it is the way to go. Unfortunately, not
everyone is able to use it. Since I do not forsee this situation
changing anytime soon - I've waited 8 years now - a features flag or
notation is a simple indicator of the mail preference of the
keyholder.
David