[OpenID] W3C TAG recommends against XRI

[Gabe Wachob]

Peter-
   While I appreciate your enthusiasm about XRI, let me make two points:

1) Your view about XRI being LDAP for the web is an interesting one,
and not a characterization I've used before. I'd have to think about
that - might be blogworthy.

2) Edd, along with everyone in the W3C TAG are smart, experienced, and
busy people who have contributed a great deal to the openness of the
interoperable web and related technologies. In fact, I've known Edd
(at least in the "know him online") longer than I've known most (all?)
of the folks involved in digital identity and XRI, etc. I have nothing
for the utmost respect for these people and what they are trying to
do. I disagree with their assessment and actions, but I'm willing to
cut them some slack because I will be the first one to admit that the
XRI specs have become unapproachable in many ways, and the noise
around the specs has clouded their true nature. This isn't personal
for me, even though some of the words pointed at us have been less
than friendly or even civil.

I believe this OASIS vote will pass and the discussion will move
forward. Everyone will have to keep on talking, so we might as well
keep the tone civil and maybe we'll actually find some common ground.

Postel's law ("be conservative in what you do, be liberal in what you
accept from others") applies not only to protocols, but in the sausage
factory of standards making...

    -Gabe


On Fri, May 23, 2008 at 11:15 AM, Peter Williams
<pwilliams at rapattoni.com> wrote:
> I have to be amongst the most stupid people on this list (if not the most
> stupid), and I get XRI. How can this be? I have to assume Edd is 10,000*
> better than I am at web stuff, given the intro he gets.
>
> What's the difference between XRI and ldap? Precious little.
>
> Does Edd understand LDAP? If he does, tell him XRI is ..."LDAP updated" for
> web culture.
>
> Period.
>
> Actually, no! its not period. Ive no idea who Edd is or what XTech
> conference is about. Is he an authority?
>
> Perhaps, we need a directory of authorities, so we can distinguish between
> blog blather and citation-grade statements that one might rely upon. Hmm.
> There is that technology that does that.. Its called XRI... its an updated
> form of LDAP, wouldn't you just know it. Its made for the web, rather than
> the 1980s telco world (L)DAP was conceived for.
>
> _________________________
> Peter Williams
>
> ________________________________
> From: Simon Willison
> Sent: Fri 5/23/2008 10:09 AM
> To: Andy Powell
> Cc: OpenID List
> Subject: Re: [OpenID] W3C TAG recommends against XRI
>
> If Edd Dumbill (ex-managing editor of xml.com and long-running chair
> of the XTech conference) can't get his head around XRIs then what hope
> for everyone else?
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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> general at openid.net
> http://openid.net/mailman/listinfo/general
>
>



-- 
Gabe Wachob / gwachob at wachob.com \ http://blog.wachob.com

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