On 6/3/08, Otto Moerbeek  wrote:

quoted text
> Ted, I think you are confusing matters.

>

>  md5 is a cryptographic hash, it surely transforms text into bit soup,

>  but that is not not the same a an encryption function. For an

>  encryption function, you want to have a corresponding computationally

>  feasable decryption function. For hashes you're better off if no such

>  function exists. Also, many texts have the same md5 output. For an

>  encryption function that would be a major problem.

Indeed.  I interpreted the use of the word "still" to be a question

regarding the security or strength of MD5, not the nature of the

mechanism.