Re: distributed methods description - Was: Updating the DID method registry

Self-discoverable is likely not possible, as that would require a centrally defined (though not necessarily centrally controlled) discovery mechanism, which would bind every DID client to the technology underlying that mechanism.

Because DIDs have widely varying interaction protocols (e.g., DNS and HTTP for did:web), any DID client that wants to support a given DID method has to know about it ahead of time. The DID Specification Registries is one way to publicize the DID method, but it could also be shared privately, e.g., within an industry consortium whose members are interested in interoperability amongst themselves and not outside of the consortium.

Self-descriptive is already possible to some degree in that the DID Specification Registries entry contains a link to the specification and the type of its verifiable data registry. However, as the specification is intended for human consumption and as the verifiable data registry is a freeform informational field, these are not very useful.

DIDs are already fully sovereign in that the publication in the DID Specification Registries is entirely optional.

From: Filip Kolarik <filip26@gmail.com>
Date: Friday, June 7, 2024 at 12:40
To: Phillip Shoemaker <phillip@identity.org>
Cc: Kevin Dean <kevin@legreq.com>, public-did-wg@w3.org <public-did-wg@w3.org>
Subject: distributed methods description - Was: Updating the DID method registry
Hi,
an off-topic question, I wonder if there could be a way to make methods somehow self-discoverable, self-descriptive, eliminating the need for a registry. Is it possible to make DIDs fully sovereign with no need for an authority?

Thanks,
Filip

On Fri, Jun 7, 2024 at 6:31 PM Phillip Shoemaker <phillip@identity.org<mailto:phillip@identity.org>> 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<mailto:phillip@identity.org>
M: 1.408.835.8444




On Jun 7, 2024, at 6:52 AM, Kevin Dean <kevin@legreq.com<mailto: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<mailto:phillip@identity.org>>
Sent: Thursday, June 6, 2024 7:52:19 PM
To: public-did-wg@w3.org<mailto:public-did-wg@w3.org> <public-did-wg@w3.org<mailto: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<mailto:phillip@identity.org>
M: 1.408.835.8444