The Written Signature and Fundamental Human Trust?

[Atheist-Lite]

When something is signed like a legal document is this not a expression of archaic sentimentality? Should the written signature be replaced by a digital sequence and some kind of safe encryption to provide legal frameworks with their legitimacy? Or would this undermine human trust by removing the last vestiges of archaic 'loyalty bloodties' or something? Is the unique identifier of the written signature part of the garbage that must be thrown away with notions of soul and self? Or, not to be sentimental, the last tenuous link to the primal immanency of our nature the legal and corporate world needs to cut before becoming the all devouring monster most intelligent people dread?

[MrFungus420]

Okay, how do you propose giving everything that now requires a signature the capability of reading, storing, verifying and encrypting/decrypting a digital sequence?

Who gets the power to regulate it?

What happens if someone loses their digital signature sequence (or forgets to bring it with them)?

[Atheist-Lite]

Okay, how do you propose giving everything that now requires a signature the capability of reading, storing, verifying and encrypting/decrypting a digital sequence?

Who gets the power to regulate it?

What happens if someone loses their digital signature sequence (or forgets to bring it with them)?

I'm sure procedures can be put in place to safeguard a digital 'signature' and retrieve it via a secure link when necessary.

[Tyrannical]

I've electronically signed my tax returns for years.

[Atheist-Lite]

I've electronically signed my tax returns for years.

Selling your soul has never been easier.

[Tyrannical]

I've electronically signed my tax returns for years.

Selling your soul has never been easier.

Not that it's secure, mind you. I think they just did it to satisfy other laws, and to make faking it forgery.
I suppose you could use a biometric measurement like a thumbprint as some type of encryption key for security, though fingerprints can be faked it takes a bit of effort and know how.

[Pappa]

Since when was a signature secure anyway?

[Tyrannical]

Since when was a signature secure anyway?

Hand writing analysis is pretty good, especially when it comes to signatures.

[Pappa]

Since when was a signature secure anyway?

Hand writing analysis is pretty good, especially when it comes to signatures.

Maybe so, but the person checking your signature to verify your identity is rarely an expert in hand writing analysis.

[Tyrannical]

Since when was a signature secure anyway?

Hand writing analysis is pretty good, especially when it comes to signatures.

Maybe so, but the person checking your signature to verify your identity is rarely an expert in hand writing analysis.

Sometimes it is good enough even for an untrained eye. If you ever need to dispute a signature, it is easily verifiable to a trained eye. Most forgery attempts are pretty bad, like trying to photocopy money.

[JimC]

A drop of blood soaked into the paper, and the DNA will be your signature...

[FBM]

It's a farce most of the time, and obsolete most of the rest, I'd guess. I once bought an electronic dictionary in Bangkok. The teller said I had to sign a paper for the warranty. Then she took my new bank card to verify the signature. She noticed that I hadn't signed it. So I signed it. Then she compared it to the signature on the warranty I'd just signed 10 seconds before right in front of her.

[Atheist-Lite]

It's a farce most of the time, and obsolete most of the rest, I'd guess. I once bought an electronic dictionary in Bangkok. The teller said I had to sign a paper for the warranty. Then she took my new bank card to verify the signature. She noticed that I hadn't signed it. So I signed it. Then she compared it to the signature on the warranty I'd just signed 10 seconds before right in front of her.

Since you'd be using your card frequently and would need to verify it? Never mind....