[Bug 15592] Feature Request: A javax.smartcardio alternative

https://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=15592

--- Comment #5 from Dieter Houthooft <dieter@lin-k.net> 2012-01-19 09:43:22 UTC ---
thanks for challenging :-)

(In reply to comment #3)
> Users are just going to love purchasing and lugging around dongles that
> elegantly hang from their tablets.

Of course they won't :-) But there are other use cases. It's not all about
tablets.

> My point is that hardware tokens are bad for the Web, because if they became
> widespread, they'd limit the possibilities of new classes of browsing devices
> to break into the market.

tl;dr 
- the separate tokens are there and we have to use them :-(
- the smartcard API also works for NFC connected chips or on embedded secure
elements

I agree with your ideal vision : separate hardware tokens should be avoided.
But the road between now and an ideal world (if ever ...) is very long and is
littered with web applications with crappy smart card integration.

Service providers have to deliver apps that work with secure elements. Those
service providers most often have no say in whether a smart card should be used
or not. If Java's demise in the browser continues those service providers will
be forced to abandon web applications and use native apps .. which would be a
pity.

Besides that, the same smartcard API is also used to interface to NFC connected
chips and device-embedded secure elements. I should've added those in my
initial description :-/

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Received on Thursday, 19 January 2012 09:43:26 UTC