Re: Registration of acct: as a URI scheme has been requested

On 6/23/12 8:32 AM, Nathan wrote:
> Michiel de Jong wrote:
>> Hi Nathan,
>>
>> On Sat, Jun 23, 2012 at 2:10 PM, Nathan <nathan@webr3.org> wrote:
>>> Each service I can think of, has a stable (non-URI) identifier for user
>>> accounts, from google through twitter, IMO those should be used, not 
>>> these
>>> fragile email addresses with a new scheme bolted on the front to try 
>>> and
>>> make it identify something it doesn't.
>>
>> It's a premise of webfinger that we resolve a human-memorable string
>> of the form 'user@host' to accounts.
>
> I understand that, but don't see any need for a acct: URI scheme to 
> accomplish that.
>
> This is a URI that will accomplish the task:
>
>  https://gmail.com/.well-known/host-meta?resource=joe@gmail.com
>
> So where's the need for acct: ?

That's a resource identifier, not a generic name. Please understand that 
when all is said and done, given its costs, acct: + webfinger is just 
another approach to Linked Data. You can't invalidate options. Simply 
don't adopt them.

>
> This is not two URIs, it's one URI, and no better than the above in 
> any way:
>
> https://gmail.com/.well-known/host-meta?resource=acct:joe@gmail.com

URI: acct:joe@gmail.com -- denotes a real-world entity (style: human 
oriented natural key)
URL: https://gmail.com/.well-known/host-meta?resource=acct:joe@gmail.com 
-- identifies a resource.

Linked Data:

A user agent would de-reference <acct:joe@gmail.com> by implementing 
the  Webfinger protocol. Some user agents would allow you to register 
this URI scheme and set its resolution mechanism.



>
> Thus, I conclude that the only reason to have acct: and to strap it to 
> joe@gmail.com is to use it as an identifier for an account, when that 
> account already has a perfectly good, stable over time, but not 
> exposed and non dereferencable identifier of it's own. Hence my 
> previous mail.

Don't agree. You have to give folks options. Anything less than that is 
a futile mandate.
>
> Best,
>
> Nathan
>
>


-- 

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Kingsley Idehen	
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OpenLink Software
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