Re: Which field values of the following are locator DIDs and which are identity DIDs: - DID Document - VC Document - DIDComm Message

Michael,

How about if we keep DID Core minimal and focused on identity, while
introducing a dedicated URI‑based mechanism for routing and addressing.
Embedding locator semantics directly into DID syntax adds unnecessary
complexity and would likely require broad changes across the ecosystem. A
layered approach enables addressing systems to evolve independently without
impacting core identity specifications. Furthermore, in standard URI
processing, fragments are strictly client‑side and not part of the resource
resolution process, which makes them unsuitable for defining network‑level
locator semantics.

Regards
Amir Hameed


On Mon, 30 Mar 2026 at 9:08 PM, Michael Herman (Trusted Digital Web) <
mwherman@parallelspace.net> wrote:

> Locator DIDs are used to locate/retrieve things: VC documents, DID
> documents, ...
>
> Get Outlook for Android <https://aka.ms/AAb9ysg>
> ------------------------------
> *From:* Michael Herman (Trusted Digital Web) <mwherman@parallelspace.net>
> *Sent:* Monday, March 30, 2026 9:33:29 AM
> *To:* Amir Hameed <amsaalegal@gmail.com>
>
> *Cc:* Credentials Community Group <public-credentials@w3.org>
> *Subject:* Re: Which field values of the following are locator DIDs and
> which are identity DIDs: - DID Document - VC Document - DIDComm Message
>
> [image: Image]
>
>
>
> Get Outlook for Android <https://aka.ms/AAb9ysg>
> ------------------------------
> *From:* Amir Hameed <amsaalegal@gmail.com>
> *Sent:* Monday, March 30, 2026 9:11:08 AM
> *To:* Michael Herman (Trusted Digital Web) <mwherman@parallelspace.net>
> *Cc:* Credentials Community Group <public-credentials@w3.org>
> *Subject:* Re: Which field values of the following are locator DIDs and
> which are identity DIDs: - DID Document - VC Document - DIDComm Message
>
> What is a locator DID?
>
> On Mon, 30 Mar 2026 at 8:37 PM, Michael Herman (Trusted Digital Web) <
> mwherman@parallelspace.net> wrote:
>
> Checkout: https://claude.ai/share/9a791ae5-2d6c-4ca5-8dfc-c5b85dc51fe7
>
> One convention Web 7.0 is looking at adopting is:
>
>    1. A DID without a fragment is an Identity DID
>    2. A DID with a fragment is a Locator DID
>    3. A DID with an empty-string fragment forces a DID to be a Locator DID
>
> This makes DID typing concrete/structural/robust. Check the above link for
> where Identity vs. Locator DIDs are used in DID Docs, VCs, and DIDComm
> Messages (in Web 7.0).
>
> Michael Herman
> Chief Digital Officer
> Web 7.0 Foundation
>
> Get Outlook for Android <https://aka.ms/AAb9ysg>
>
>