Keybase.io is very useful for Web of Trust

Posted by dixonwille on Saturday January 14, 2017 @06:07PM
from the self-post dept.

So I have been enjoying this service. I have an OpenPGP key with a few subkeys (depending on the number of devices I have). What this is great for is the Web of Trust (don't like using that term but most people understand the meaning). It allows me to easily verfiy people I am working on GitHub that I don't know by person but by their GitHub account. This allows me to validate a users credentials before I sign of. This helps prevent others trying to mimic as someone else!

( 3 comments | 23 points | on HN )

Re:Keybase.io is very useful for Web of Trust by shakna on Sunday January 15, 2017 @05:35AM (#13403395)

When you say Web of Trust, I'd say quite a few think of the troublesome browser extension [0], not the theory [1].

A key point in the theory, is that it is decentralised. Keybase isn't.

What you're enjoying is just public key infrastructure, and GitHub integrating it well.

It's cool it exists, and works well. But it's hardly a Web of Trust.

[0] http://lifehacker.com/web-of-trust-sells-your-browsing-histo...

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_of_trust

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Keybase.io is very useful for Web of Trust by 00dani on Monday January 16, 2017 @12:17AM (#13408351)

Well, yes, Keybase.io acts as a centralised location to find all the identity proofs, but you don't actually need to rely on it - the proofs on each external site can be independently verified without any help from Keybase.io.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Keybase.io is very useful for Web of Trust by wslh on Monday January 16, 2017 @07:15PM (#13414208)

Keybase is elitist, they follow the easy trust method of giving trust to a very few people within specific networks.

[ Parent | on HN ]