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List:       gnupg-users
Subject:    Re: HOWTO on interfacing with gnupg/pgp?
From:       Rich <rich () cnylug ! org>
Date:       2001-06-19 3:02:32
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On Mon, 18 Jun 2001 19:17:12 -0700 (PDT)
Len Sassaman <rabbi@quickie.net> wrote:

> PGP 1.0 was GPL'd as well, and there's a rather nice RSA implementation as
> part of it. FWIW, 1.0 did not use IDEA, but is also completely
> incompatable with any PGP implementation we're using today.

  When I met PRZ a few years ago he talked about his homebrew
algorithm that v1.0 used.  I believe he named it "Bass-O-Matic"
after a famous Saturday Night Live skit from the 1970's (SNL is an
American late-night, live, humour show that is still on the air. 
I'm sure someone here will be happy to explain the name in more
detail if asked).
 
  After Phil released 1.0 he went to a crypto conference and met
many famous crypto people, including the R, the S, and the A in
RSA.  He asked one of them (I forget which one) to look at his
Bass-O-Matic algorithm, and they found several weaknesses in it
within a few minutes.
 
 Suffice it to say, Phil scrapped his algo and gained a lot more
respect for the people who write the really good ones.
 
 Rich...

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