Name Uniqueness Problem - Can OpenID solve it?

[Joaquin Miller]

>There's a difference between an identifier, a unique identifier, and ...

What Ben and Alexis wrote is correct.  In his message, John uses a 
term that many folks use in our common parlance: 'unique 
identifier'.  John explains several practical matters about the use 
of names.  I don't question his analysis: he explains some important 
matters and explains them clearly.

But I sure don't like the term he chose to use.

I feel strongly we should never use 'unique identifier', no matter 
what meaning we intend.  This term only promotes misunderstanding.

There is a well established technical meaning for 'identifier' and we 
should stick to it.  This meaning not only suits our technical 
requirements, it suits the shared understanding of the general population.

12.1 Name: A term which, in a given naming context, refers to an entity.
12.2 Identifier: An unambiguous name, in a given naming context.
12.3 Name space: A set of terms usable as names.
12.4 Naming context: A relation between a set of names and a set of 
entities. The set of names belongs to a single name space.
6.1 Entity: Any concrete or abstract thing of interest.

      -- X.902 | International Standard 10746-2
          http://www.joaquin.net/ODP/

It means that there are no identifiers except in relation to a naming 
context.  With respect to a given naming context, an identifier is a 
name for a single entity.  If, in a given naming context, a name 
refers to two or more entities, that name is not an identifier.

Cordially, Joaquin


I feel it would be a waste of our time, but if challenged I can 
quickly demonstrate that there is no such thing as an identifier that 
is unique.  My point about 'unique identifier' is that it muddles the 
conversation and sows confusion.  But another point is this: It's not 
useful to call an identifier that is not unique a 'unique identifier'.



-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.openid.net/pipermail/openid-general/attachments/20060920/b4e03ba6/attachment-0002.htm>