Re: "Web Identity" -> "Web Credentials"

On 03/04/2014 09:49 PM, Steven Rowat wrote:
> If I understand correctly, I don't agree with that last name change.

I think there's some miscommunication, which I'll try to clear up below.

> My reasoning is you can have several credentials under one Identity 
> (and several claims under one credential). So you still need a word 
> to refer to the 'entity' that the credentials (and claims) purport
> to define.

That's correct.

> And if that word is also "Credential", that's using the term for two
>  different things, no?

I believe that word is currently "Identity", "Identity Card", "WebID",
or "Profile Document". My preference is for "Identity".

> Or are you intending to still use the word "Identity" for that, but 
> name the entire system "Web Credentials"?

Yes, this was the intent. You, Steven, may have multiple identities.
Those identities may contain one or more credentials. Each credential
may contain one or more claims about some piece of information that may
be used to identify you (and digitally signed by a 3rd party asserting
the claim as true).

> Aside: I like both the "credential" and the "claim" changes and I 
> think those things work well.

Good to hear.

> But for me what they create is a "Web Identity", as far as I 
> understand the terms.

Yes, that's correct. Unfortunately, "Web Identity" is a bit of an
overloaded term and other communities are complaining about its usage
for this specification.

> Maybe if you believe the 'credential' part is too central to leave 
> out of the name then it could be something like "Credentialled 
> Identity" ? (or "Credentialled Entity" or "Entity Credentials")? 
> I.e., Does "Web" have to be there? There will be parts used off the 
> web, won't there? So perhaps 'Web' is misleading and too 
> limiting...?
> 
> Or, if Web is important too,
> 
> "Web Entity Credentials"  :-)

On the call today, we also discussed "Identity Credentials", "Digital
Credentials", and "Decentralized Credentials". Any thoughts on those
names given the clarifications above?

-- manu

-- 
Manu Sporny (skype: msporny, twitter: manusporny, G+: +Manu Sporny)
Founder/CEO - Digital Bazaar, Inc.
blog: The Worlds First Web Payments Workshop
http://www.w3.org/2013/10/payments/

Received on Thursday, 6 March 2014 05:19:38 UTC