Re: DID or CID

DIDs and DID methods enable interoperability, since they provide a 
consistent identifier syntax and consistent data model, no matter if you 
use centralized/hierarchical systems like DNS and the web, or 
blockchains, or ephemeral identifiers like did:key, or any other kind of 
underlying identifier infrastructure or protocols.

I do agree that if all you ever want to use is DNS/Web based 
identifiers, then you can just use classic HTTPS URLs directly, without 
requiring the abstraction of did:web.

This is why the Controller Identifiers work exists, it defines the same 
data model (CID documents), but you can use it with identifiers other 
than DIDs.

In other words, a DID document is also a valid CID document.

A few days ago, a Pull Request was merged for the next version of the 
DID specification to formally reference the CID specification:
https://github.com/w3c/did/pull/877

Markus

On 1/30/25 11:08 AM, Nis Jespersen wrote:
> Hi Steve et al.,
>
> I believe this is what used to be the Controller Document draft spec. 
> My high level take is that CIDs filter the best parts of the DID spec, 
> leaving behind some of the baggage - notably the need for new 
> resolvers and DID-method incompatibility.
>
> DIDs account for generic registration (notably blockchain networks); 
> but if the world ends up using did:web, we don't gain anything from 
> paying the price for this DID abstraction. Instead of describing the 
> resolver in the abstract, the CID spec just describes where and how to 
> place the necessary cryptographic elements, resolving with classic HTTP.
>
> FWIW I did a quick piece on this a while back when I first heard of 
> it: 
> https://medium.com/transmute-techtalk/revolutionary-identity-tech-evolved-616156f8fe59
>
> Nis
>
>
> On Thu, Jan 30, 2025 at 10:43 AM Steve Capell <steve.capell@gmail.com> 
> wrote:
>
>     Just saw an announcement from w3c about a new candidate
>     recommendation about “Controlled Identifiers” (CID) -
>     https://www.w3.org/TR/2025/CR-cid-1.0-20250130/
>
>     It looks an awful lot like a DID - https://www.w3.org/TR/did-1.0/
>
>     It doest really say how a CID differed from a DID or why we need a
>     new specification
>
>     Cab anyone shed light?
>
>     Steven Capell
>     Mob: 0410 437854
>