IdP vs OP (WAS: RE: "Editors" Conference Call)

[Dick Hardt]

On 6-Nov-06, at 11:46 AM, Recordon, David wrote:

> I see both sides of this discussion.  I think John is correct that the
> role of an OP really is not that different than that of SAML's  
> IdP.  The
> difference comes down to the trust model.  I certainly think  
> reputation
> networks will exist which rate OPs, RPs, users, etc and will  
> ultimately
> be needed for a technologies with "promiscuous trust models" to thrive
> in a large scale.
>
> I guess reading more of this is making me question if renaming IdP
> really is the best thing to do in OpenID.  I think if anything we all,
> as a larger community, should be working to bring OpenID and SAML  
> closer
> together versus driving them further apart.

I don't see this as driving SAML apart from OpenID. I see it as  
differentiating OpenID as being user-centric vs federated. The IdP  
has specific meaning in the federated world. A key differentiator  
with OpenID is that trust is not needed between the OP and the RP. It  
is implied and perhaps needed in the IdP / RP relationship.

-- Dick