On 8/8/2007 Bill Parry wrote:
> Honestly, I think that you are right. Some more detailed instructions would
> be helpful. When I ran into a problem, I called and got help immediately.
> These help files that the computer types love to refer to are not helpful to
> an old guy like me. I like to have someone that I can ask. (Hopefully that
> doesn't have too much of an accent...although those Yankees do talk funny
> :-))
> Bill, W5VX
I'm a computer programmer, who KNOWS (or at least mostly knows) how LOTW and
the "signing" process works (ask me for MY PGP key)
LOTW is VERY poorly explained, and is VERY VERY secure, but perhaps, overly
secure (If they are doing what I'm 90% sure they are doing, that signature you
put on your log is secure enough for banking/legal documents)
The problem is, how do you explain how "Public Key Cryptography/Digital
signatures" works? NOT real easy
The BIG issue is that in trying to make the system flexible (you can have a key
to sign your current call, your old call, your call for the DX you went on,
etc) it ends up being very very complex
The general idea of what is happening is - your "key" was sent to you by the
ARRL (the TQ12 if I remember right - or was it the TQ5 - whatever)
You pick a file that you want to "sign" with your key - you then pick WHICH key
you want to use. It then asks for a password that "unlocks" the key, then uses
the key to sign the file, and then locks the key back up
Picture one of those old Key lock boxes like you probably saw back in school -
in the office, they have a metal box with dozens (hundreds?) of keys - but
there is ONE key that opens that box - and allows you at the keys
That password you enter opens the metal box, and allows you to use the keys
within
off topic - and makes it more confusing
What really bugs me, once they have gone as far as they have, there is a way to
have Hams issue "keys" to other hams, and "sign" that key saying "KG2V says
W5VXs key is valid" and "K1TTT says W5VX's key is valid" etc etc - once you
have enough signatures - other folks (like the ARRL can say "we trust that the
key is valid" - and in fact, what they have done right now is setup a system
where there is one key signer "the arrl says this key is valid")
--
73 de KG2V
For the Children - RKBA!
Be wary of strong drink.
It can make you shoot at tax collectors -- and miss.
--R.A.H.
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