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

Our work at UDNA CG is on the similar lines but we treat DID as the
authority without requiring any chance in the DID core , UDNA is full URI
Addressing scheme not just identifier format, the whole idea is we can swap
authority like DNS with DID without breaking compliance to RFC 3986 , DID
is sufficient for root of trust and authority to be considered at network
primitive level and that’s why changing DID core would lead to collapse of
the uri scheme, keeping the DID core as it is gives UDNA immediate
compatibility with existing DID work.

Regards

On Tue, 31 Mar 2026 at 2:08 AM, Michael Herman (Trusted Digital Web) <
mwherman@parallelspace.net> wrote:

> This isn’t about embedding/introducing anything fundamentally new.  Both
> concepts are currently included incurrent  DID Core but not clearly
> explained from a bullet-proof architecture perspective.  Separating them
> into separate physical documents is only going to make the
> coordination/learning problem worse.
>
>
>
> We’ll make the change in DID7 EITF draft and see where it goes:
> https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-herman-did7-identifier/
>
>
>
> Michael Herman
>
> Chief Digital Architect
>
> Web 7.0 Foundation
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* Amir Hameed <amsaalegal@gmail.com>
> *Sent:* Monday, March 30, 2026 10:05 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
>
>
>
> 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>
>
>