2011/1/26 Nitesh Mistry mailbox@mistrynitesh.net:
Even in the offline world, signing a document is usually not enough -
On the contrary it is 'usually' enough. Of how many documents that we sign, do you get them countersigned by a witness? Does that mean you do not sign a document unless there is a witness countersigning it?
I am ignoring everything else you have written (better sense prevails - proverbs about skirmishes with the suilline and all that), but this displays some naivete. Every non-trivial document (ie, one that is going to trigger a decision - especially financial - by a third party who is going to be held liable for that decision) you sign is authenticated by a witness, or by comparing with a signature authenticated previously. In case you have counter examples, let me know. Think of the list of documents you might have to sign - be it a cheque, a loan application, a tax return - anything - and the backend processing that happens.
Binand