You probably expected a 'mailto' link when you clicked the mail link, didn't you? Give me a second to encourage you to use encrypted mail. You should realize that sending a standard email is like sending a postcard. Along its journey, anyone can read it. You may think this is difficult, when in fact it is an incredibly trivial thing to do. And to top it off, it is really easy to write software to scan for key words in you mail. Say tou want to email a friend about a good business plan. It would be really easy for someone to read your plan without you ever knowing. The solution to this security problem is encrypted mail.

Encrypted mail allows you to make your mail only readable to people who have the correct password. The way it works is like this: both parties create a key pair. The pair consists of a public key and a private key. Then you both send your public keys to eachother. With the correct pgp enabled mail program, you can then encrypt mail using your private key combined with the other persons public key. Eudora, and Mutt are the two mail clients I have used with pgp encryption, but many others exist. If you are interested in web based mail try Lokmail.

Although encrypted mail has gotten a bad wrap as a result of the terrorist attacks on September 11th, there are many instances where encrypted mail has been used for good. Visit the Electronic Frontier Foundation to find out more.

So the point of all of this is that you can send me encrypted mail by sending me your public key first, then using my public pgp key, encrypt the message. I'll still read plain mail sent sent to mac4-wp@theory.org, but I would prefer that it were encrypted. I will gladdly read unencrypted mail if it is requesting assistance in getting your pgp mail program set up.

problems, questions, suggestions? mac4-wp@theory.org