[nycbug-talk] USENIX + CACert

[Bob Ippolito]

On Jun 10, 2004, at 12:05 PM, Bob Ippolito wrote:

> I don't think I'm going to be able to make USENIX this year, but one 
> thing I've heard about that particularly interests me is that the 
> whole CAcert crew is going to be there.  CAcert is the 
> "Community-Oriented and Driven Certificate Authority".  Basically, 
> they're trying to do what Thawte, Verisign, etc. does, but offer the 
> services for free.  They offer email, server, and most recently code 
> signing certificates.
>
> The 'problem' with CAcert (other than the fact that operating systems 
> don't yet trust its root cert by default), is that in order to be 
> fully authorized (get 2 year certs, name on email cert, etc.) you need 
> to be verified by an existing member with assurer (or better) status.  
> Unfortunately, there aren't ANY assurers in the NYC area!  Since these 
> are the board members, anyone certified by them is immediately granted 
> assurer status.  So, for those of you going, it would be awesome if 
> you signed up for CAcert and got yourself assured, and we could have a 
> little "key-signing party" at the end of the next nycbug meeting.  If 
> three nycbug members become assured by board members, then that is 
> enough to assign >100 points to new people, who can then assure each 
> other, so that nycbug'er (who wants it) should be able to end up with 
> full assurer status (assuming there's about 6 people who are 
> interested, possibly less if I do the math).

Looks like I won't even be able to make the next meeting.. I just made 
plans to go to WWDC (on a complimentary ticket, no less), so I will be 
out of town from the 28th-2nd (give or take).  I still think that 
whoever is going should look into this, so that I can get authorized in 
August :)

-bob
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