EU Draft Digital Signature Directive

[George Foot]

On Thu 27 Aug, Brian Gladman wrote:


> 
> This is correct precisely because some people have been badly misled into
> believing that digital signatures do say something about the trust that can
> be placed in their owners.   This is a good example of the misuderstandings
> that arise when a technology becomes 'fashionable' and hence subject to
> being sold on the basis of hype and misunerstanding rather than on the basis
> of its real utility.

A valuable clarification.

But the man-in-the-street will attach the meaning which the words suggest to him.

Surely the most urgent consideration should be to change the name from 
"digital signature" to something else which does describe the feature you are 
promoting. 

"Check-of-Origin" or anything else meaningful which will not cause confusion in lay 
minds with "trust" and "signature" and other terms used indiscriminatedly when 
in fact they have very different meanings.

George  


-- 
George Foot
georgefoot@oxted.demon.co.uk
Web Page.  http://www.oxted.demon.co.uk