Re: Updating the DID method registry

Phillip,

I agree with Kevin that the new DID WG can discuss this, perhaps you are 
interested in joining?
https://www.w3.org/groups/wg/did/

I don't think it's realistic in the short term that an existing entry 
will be removed or replaced, since as Kevin pointed out there isn't 
really a process for that (except if the original submitter requests a 
change).

Would you maybe consider using a different method name..?

Markus

On 6/7/24 18:30, Phillip Shoemaker wrote:
> Thanks Kevin, I completely agree. And if the DID method was deployed 
> and maintained, I wouldn’t be asking this question. We are working 
> with BNB on this and cannot deploy as is.
> - Never deployed
> - Nothing to maintain
> - Company is non-responsive and their GitHub is not touched in years
>
>>   * No deployment -> Deprecate immediately
>>
>
> How do we get to the above?
>
>
> - - -
> Phillip Shoemaker
> Executive Director, Identity
> E: phillip@identity.org
> M: 1.408.835.8444
>
>
>
>> On Jun 7, 2024, at 6:52 AM, Kevin Dean <kevin@legreq.com> wrote:
>>
>> Name collision is a problem for DID methods. As with domain names, 
>> it’s a case of “first one in wins”. Unlike domain names, though, 
>> where failure to renew registration eventually returns the name to 
>> the free pool, there’s no mechanism for deprecation in the DID registry.
>>
>> Even if there were, it’s problematic, because DIDs can outlast 
>> support for their underlying methods. Suppose someone needs to query 
>> a DID sometime in the future in order to validate some present-day 
>> action, and they have previously had no exposure to the DID. The 
>> logical place to start would be the DID registry, but if the DID 
>> registry has a different, unrelated specification linked to the DID 
>> method name, they will be unable to perform the validation. Arguably, 
>> they could go through the GitHub history to determine what version of 
>> the JSON file applied at the time of the present-day action they’re 
>> validating, but that introduces a new, non-standard level of 
>> indirection to DID processing.
>>
>> This is analogous to sending an email to a reallocated domain: it 
>> might get through, but it certainly won’t be to the intended recipient.
>>
>> In my opinion, DID method name deprecation should be taken up in the 
>> new working group. I’ve been through something similar in another 
>> domain, and it led to a tiered approach:
>>
>>   * No deployment -> Deprecate immediately
>>   * Limited deployment (e.g., for proof of concept) -> Deprecate
>>     after well-defined period (e.g., one year)
>>   * Production deployment -> Never deprecate
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> *From:* Phillip Shoemaker <phillip@identity.org>
>> *Sent:* Thursday, June 6, 2024 7:52:19 PM
>> *To:* public-did-wg@w3.org <public-did-wg@w3.org>
>> *Subject:* Updating the DID method registry
>> How does one go about getting the DID method registry updated?
>>
>> We wish to deploy a DID method on BNB, but a company named Ontology 
>> has already registered it a few years ago, and still have not 
>> deployed a method. Additionally, they did not list their website nor 
>> an email address. I’ve tried for months to contact the company to no 
>> avail.
>>
>> What is the process to update the registry?
>>
>> Thank you.
>>
>> - - -
>> Phillip Shoemaker
>> Executive Director, Identity
>> E: phillip@identity.org
>> M: 1.408.835.8444
>>
>>
>>
>