[acqq]

Why isn't RFC 1751

http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc1751.txt

used to provide the fingerprints that are readable? Verifying would be much more convenient than now.

"For example, the 128-bit key of:

         CCAC 2AED 5910 56BE 4F90 FD44 1C53 4766

would become

         RASH BUSH MILK LOOK BAD BRIM AVID GAFF BAIT ROT POD LOVE

Likewise, a user should be able to type in

         TROD MUTE TAIL WARM CHAR KONG HAAG CITY BORE O TEAL AWL

as a key, and the machine should make the translation to:

         EFF8 1F9B FBC6 5350 920C DD74 16DE 8009"

[cpach]

I haven't used the "original" PGP program for a very long time, but IIRC it had the option to use RFC 1751 or a similar scheme. A quick web search finds to options to use this scheme in GnuPG. Strange!

[e12e]

You're probably thinking of: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PGP_word_list

[edit: See also this thread: http://lists.gnupg.org/pipermail/gnupg-devel/2001-March/0170...

I think they're missing (what I think was) the point of the list -- I seem to recall this was meant for use over the phone, and the words were selected by machine learning to all sound different. I've always thought this was a massive case of over-engineering -- and also somewhat narrow-sighted. I mean the list starts out with "Aardvark" of all things! ]

[cpach]

Yes, that's the list I was thinking of. The linked discussion was interesting. Good find! Perhaps the GnuPG devs are right that hex finger prints are more internationally viable than English words.

[e12e]

I've been thinking a lot about using words to stand in for numbers (eg: fingerprints) -- and I think the idea is good. But i18n should be considered -- and the PGP world list is probably the worst example I know of. The only thing it has going for it, is that is already collected/created -- but seeing as how it's not implemented by gpg -- that is kind of moot.

[cpach]

I can see why it would be hard to find one set of words that are easy to pronounce/understand in every language and every culture. But perhaps that isn’t necessary? I’m thinking that this feature needn’t be available in every localized version of GnuPG. Or that there could be localized word lists for various languages.

[e12e]

Maybe. I think sticking to something like the phonetic alphabet or "simple English" would be ok.