Re: Getting Serious about WebID Bootstrap

On 9/28/12 8:19 AM, Nathan wrote:
> Kingsley Idehen wrote:
>> All,
>>
>> Bootstrapping anything on the Web requires technology implementer to 
>> use (dog-food) whatever technology they seek to promote to others. 
>> Thus, I would like to encourage every participant in the RWW and 
>> WebID community groups to make a best-effort to start signing emails, 
>> moving forward.
>>
>> Naturally, these emails should be signed using an WebID watermarked 
>> X.509 certificate. Certificate generation choices include:
>>
>> 1. Native generators that come with your desktop OS -- Mac OS X, 
>> Windows, and Linux all include such a utility
>> 2. Certificate generators from WebID IdPs -- I have a list here: 
>> http://delicious.com/kidehen/webid+webid_idp (ping me if you have a 
>> generator that's unlisted) .
>>
>> Over the last year or so, I've written a number of how-to guides [1] 
>> covering how to sign emails across all the major native email clients.
>>
>> Once again, if we don't sign our emails we loose a simple opportunity 
>> to showcase the utility of WebIDs and the WebID authentication 
>> protocol. Being able to follow-your-nose from a WebID that watermarks 
>> an email senders certificate is a very simple utility showcase for 
>> both WebID and Linked Data.
>>
>> We can do this!
>>
>> Links:
>>
>> 1. http://bit.ly/VTnxzz -- collection of G+ hosted howtos (for all 
>> the major native email clients) covering how to digitally sign emails .
>>
>
> Why? what do I gain from doing this - consider me a naive outsider
>
>

Here's what you gain, off the bat:

1. ability to verify the identity of an email sender -- you click on the 
certificate icon in the signed email, locate the WebID in its SAN, 
follow-your-nose
2. ability to write filters based on graph exposed by Personal URI that 
serves as WebID
3. easy mechanism for looking up WebIDs when ACL protecting resources.



-- 

Regards,

Kingsley Idehen	
Founder & CEO
OpenLink Software
Company Web: http://www.openlinksw.com
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