OpenID & LID in a passel-world

S. Sriram ssriram at gmail.com
Sat Jul 23 15:20:22 PDT 2005


Hi,

The significant limitation with passel is the need for
end user browser support, this however is counterweighed
by the opportunity of having any element of profile data
(such as email id) be authenticated (not just passed),
and each element having its own signer.

(Passel: an open-protocol/technology similar to OpenID.
more at http://www.passel.org/whitepaper.html )

So, if passel's limitation i.e. browser support goes away
because at some later date all browsers support it, than how
would openid live/be relevant in this passel-world ? and
what about LID ?

It seems to me that the actual identity url would become a profile
data element effectively authenticating one's public name in
guestbook/comment and other situations where what is needed
is a name.

So, in a passel world

Target(website) asks agent(browser) the following q's

What is your public name ?
 an OpenID url or LID url can authenticate this
 In OpenId's case: The passel-signer would need to be an openid consumer
 that talks to an openid server and sends back data in the format
 that passel-target needs.
 In LID's case: The passel-target would need to be LID-aware to be able to
 authenticate a LID url. (not likely)

What is your email id, tel, dob etc..?
 Pure passel conversations.

So, in a REST-ful non-SOAP/WS-* world, what seems to be shaping up
is that (given browser plug-in support) passel 'could' become the
dominant profile exchange protocol/technology with OpenID providing
the url/public name authentication service.

Since LID url's would have the added dependency of needing to be
supported by passel-targets this may not be universally accepted.
(as opposed to OpenId url's since they could point to an openid
consumer that is passel-ready)

Which reduces to

End-User:
   Get an OpenID url, it will stay relevant
Consumer/Website:
   Build openid consumer functionality today, expect to be a passel target
tomorrow
PassOpen servers (Passel Signer + OpenId consumers: )
  A new breed of OpenId consumers who perform consumer services to
passel-agents and signer services  to passel-targets.

I'd be interested in being pointed to any links that outline some of the
issues/differences.

Thanks
S. Sriram




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