diff --git a/iroh-gossip/examples/chat.rs b/iroh-gossip/examples/chat.rs
index d3631f10c6..0bd9a0e1a3 100644
--- a/iroh-gossip/examples/chat.rs
+++ b/iroh-gossip/examples/chat.rs
@@ -86,9 +86,9 @@ async fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     // parse or generate our secret key
     let secret_key = match args.secret_key {
         None => SecretKey::generate(),
-        Some(key) => parse_secret_key(&key)?,
+        Some(key) => key.parse()?,
     };
-    println!("> our secret key: {}", base32::fmt(secret_key.to_bytes()));
+    println!("> our secret key: {secret_key}");
 
     // confgure our relay map
     let relay_mode = match (args.no_relay, args.relay) {
@@ -176,12 +176,12 @@ async fn subscribe_loop(gossip: Gossip, topic: TopicId) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
             match message {
                 Message::AboutMe { name } => {
                     names.insert(from, name.clone());
-                    println!("> {} is now known as {}", fmt_node_id(&from), name);
+                    println!("> {} is now known as {}", from.fmt_short(), name);
                 }
                 Message::Message { text } => {
                     let name = names
                         .get(&from)
-                        .map_or_else(|| fmt_node_id(&from), String::to_string);
+                        .map_or_else(|| from.fmt_short(), String::to_string);
                     println!("{}: {}", name, text);
                 }
             }
@@ -295,14 +295,6 @@ impl FromStr for Ticket {
 
 // helpers
 
-fn fmt_node_id(input: &PublicKey) -> String {
-    base32::fmt_short(input.as_bytes())
-}
-fn parse_secret_key(secret: &str) -> anyhow::Result<SecretKey> {
-    let bytes: [u8; 32] = base32::parse_array(secret)?;
-    Ok(SecretKey::from(bytes))
-}
-
 fn fmt_relay_mode(relay_mode: &RelayMode) -> String {
     match relay_mode {
         RelayMode::Disabled => "None".to_string(),
diff --git a/iroh-net/examples/connect-unreliable.rs b/iroh-net/examples/connect-unreliable.rs
index bd92cf3585..b42ae683c3 100644
--- a/iroh-net/examples/connect-unreliable.rs
+++ b/iroh-net/examples/connect-unreliable.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ use std::net::SocketAddr;
 use anyhow::Context;
 use clap::Parser;
 use futures_lite::StreamExt;
-use iroh_base::base32;
 use iroh_net::{
     key::SecretKey,
     relay::{RelayMode, RelayUrl},
@@ -40,7 +39,7 @@ async fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     println!("\nconnect (unreliable) example!\n");
     let args = Cli::parse();
     let secret_key = SecretKey::generate();
-    println!("secret key: {}", base32::fmt(secret_key.to_bytes()));
+    println!("secret key: {secret_key}");
 
     // Build a `Endpoint`, which uses PublicKeys as node identifiers, uses QUIC for directly connecting to other nodes, and uses the relay protocol and relay servers to holepunch direct connections between nodes when there are NATs or firewalls preventing direct connections. If no direct connection can be made, packets are relayed over the relay servers.
     let endpoint = Endpoint::builder()
diff --git a/iroh-net/examples/connect.rs b/iroh-net/examples/connect.rs
index 278f020ca7..68740e9040 100644
--- a/iroh-net/examples/connect.rs
+++ b/iroh-net/examples/connect.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ use std::net::SocketAddr;
 use anyhow::Context;
 use clap::Parser;
 use futures_lite::StreamExt;
-use iroh_base::base32;
 use iroh_net::relay::RelayUrl;
 use iroh_net::{key::SecretKey, relay::RelayMode, Endpoint, NodeAddr};
 use tracing::info;
@@ -37,7 +36,7 @@ async fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     println!("\nconnect example!\n");
     let args = Cli::parse();
     let secret_key = SecretKey::generate();
-    println!("secret key: {}", base32::fmt(secret_key.to_bytes()));
+    println!("secret key: {secret_key}");
 
     // Build a `Endpoint`, which uses PublicKeys as node identifiers, uses QUIC for directly connecting to other nodes, and uses the relay protocol and relay servers to holepunch direct connections between nodes when there are NATs or firewalls preventing direct connections. If no direct connection can be made, packets are relayed over the relay servers.
     let endpoint = Endpoint::builder()
diff --git a/iroh-net/examples/listen-unreliable.rs b/iroh-net/examples/listen-unreliable.rs
index a4fe0899fa..43fe12f81d 100644
--- a/iroh-net/examples/listen-unreliable.rs
+++ b/iroh-net/examples/listen-unreliable.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 //!     $ cargo run --example listen-unreliable
 use anyhow::Context;
 use futures_lite::StreamExt;
-use iroh_base::base32;
 use iroh_net::{key::SecretKey, relay::RelayMode, Endpoint};
 use tracing::info;
 
@@ -17,7 +16,7 @@ async fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     tracing_subscriber::fmt::init();
     println!("\nlisten (unreliable) example!\n");
     let secret_key = SecretKey::generate();
-    println!("secret key: {}", base32::fmt(secret_key.to_bytes()));
+    println!("secret key: {secret_key}");
 
     // Build a `Endpoint`, which uses PublicKeys as node identifiers, uses QUIC for directly connecting to other nodes, and uses the relay servers to holepunch direct connections between nodes when there are NATs or firewalls preventing direct connections. If no direct connection can be made, packets are relayed over the relay servers.
     let endpoint = Endpoint::builder()
diff --git a/iroh-net/examples/listen.rs b/iroh-net/examples/listen.rs
index a152295a33..4d59472584 100644
--- a/iroh-net/examples/listen.rs
+++ b/iroh-net/examples/listen.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 //!     $ cargo run --example listen
 use anyhow::Context;
 use futures_lite::StreamExt;
-use iroh_base::base32;
 use iroh_net::{key::SecretKey, relay::RelayMode, Endpoint};
 use tracing::{debug, info};
 
@@ -17,7 +16,7 @@ async fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     tracing_subscriber::fmt::init();
     println!("\nlisten example!\n");
     let secret_key = SecretKey::generate();
-    println!("secret key: {}", base32::fmt(secret_key.to_bytes()));
+    println!("secret key: {secret_key}");
 
     // Build a `Endpoint`, which uses PublicKeys as node identifiers, uses QUIC for directly connecting to other nodes, and uses the relay protocol and relay servers to holepunch direct connections between nodes when there are NATs or firewalls preventing direct connections. If no direct connection can be made, packets are relayed over the relay servers.
     let endpoint = Endpoint::builder()
diff --git a/iroh/examples/client.rs b/iroh/examples/client.rs
index ea8b5bce58..c0eeb952f6 100644
--- a/iroh/examples/client.rs
+++ b/iroh/examples/client.rs
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ async fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
 fn fmt_entry(entry: &Entry) -> String {
     let id = entry.id();
     let key = std::str::from_utf8(id.key()).unwrap_or("<bad key>");
-    let author = base32::fmt_short(id.author());
+    let author = id.author().fmt_short();
     let hash = entry.content_hash();
     let hash = base32::fmt_short(hash.as_bytes());
     let len = HumanBytes(entry.content_len());