[OTR-users] some questions

readytogo2 readytogo2 at freenet.de
Fri Dec 29 18:12:37 EST 2006


Ian Goldberg wrote:
> On Fri, Dec 29, 2006 at 06:28:00PM +0100, readytogo2 wrote:
>>> Fair enough.  But of course, just trying it out won't tell you anything
>>> about what's going on under the hood.
>> True, but if there is no offical statement from otr developers yet it`s
>> therefore not suggestable right now?
> 
> I don't think it's even our place to recommend or contraindicate the use
> of specific third-party software.  All I can say is that I personally
> don't use it, and I've never looked at the code.
Where elese could be a place to recomand or contraindicate? :)

Do you want OTR to be a high compatible system? You want that many
people use it? Or just that interested people can easy use it?

>>>>>> There's no explicit way to do it at the moment (with the main plugin,
>>>>>> anyway), but copying the otr.private_key file around should work.
>>>> I think to use the proxy would be the best way for everyone right now?
>>>> Is the proxy portable? I also don`t know what is compatible to each
>>>> other. :(
>>> Any software that uses libotr should have compatible otr.private_key
>>> files; I don't think switching to the proxy would change this situation
>>> at all.
>> The proxys isn`t avalible for windows?
> 
> The proxy runs on Linux, Windows, and OS X.

You mean the aim proxy? I don`t see for OTR library and toolkit a
windows built.

>> What would you suggest to use?
>> - using jabber + ssl
>> - using gaim + gaim-otr
>> - using miranda (I prefer it because it supports transport agents and
>> mroe easy server registration) + miranda-otr-plugin
>> ?
> 
> jabber + ssl doesn't provide the same security properties as otr; most
> noticeably, the jabber server can still read (or modify) all of your
> messages.
Yes, sure the ssl doesn`t make it uber secure. But as far I can imagine
this it will make it even harder for someone who tryes to comprimise the
system.

>> Please allow me a question, this question should not sound mad. But why
>> do you invetigate your skills and time in developing OTR localhost AIM
>> proxy? Propritaery like Aim, Icq & Msn (maybe Skype aswell) are
>> Freeware, not open source, don`t have a checkable secure way to add
>> encryption by standard and will never have it and reserve itself the
>> right to log, save, observe, use, ... messages sent over their service.
>>
>> Them could disallow to send encrypted messages over their service at any
>> time. Some of those messengers already banned transport agents or
>> disallowed in their user agreement to use native clients.
> 
> The primary reason to write the proxy was so that iChat users could use
> OTR.  At the time, iChat was AIM-only.
> 
>> If two people are using aim and beginn to care about privacy and
>> security should use jabber instant because it is free and there are
>> already cross platform, portable, checkable and secure ways to chat with
>> each other (gaim-otr). Imho to investigate work in free protocolls has
>> more future.


> One of the primary characteristics of so-called "useful security and
> privacy technologies" is that they can give users benefit, without the
> users having to significantly change the way they do things.  (For if
> they were forced to, they usually just forego the technology
> altogether.)  Telling people "switch to Jabber" is a non-solution, since
> people won't do it.  Even telling people "switch to using gaim" is
> tough.  The proxy allows people to continue using whatever client
> they're most comfortable with, until OTR support gets added natively.

> I agree that open protocols as the Right Way to go in the future (and
> you'll notice that OTR itself is fully specified and open), but that's
> not where IM users are now, and we want to help as many people as we can
> today.  We don't have to choose between them; OTR works on AIM, MSN,
> ICQ, and Jabber alike.

I am already convinced. I like OTR.
Which target do you want to reach with your project? Do you want some
translations of your website?
I also would like to see many people using it, a great website (example
ubuntu.com) with wiki and forum.



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