[dale_glass]

TOFU isn't the proper usage model for GPG, especially not for anything of actual importance.

GPG was made to be a self-contained system. It works based on chains of signatures (web of trust). The GPG program enforces this model, you must sign keys for a signature to be identified as valid. Approximations like "I can find the same key on this other website" aren't part of the intended model.

Key servers don't provide trust, they provide convenience. You may obtain keys from keyservers, but to actually trust a key you're supposed to do the work of verifying it. Eg, if you get my key from a keyserver the only legitimate reasons to trust it is that either you met me personally and compared fingerprints, or you trust somebody else who did that.