XRI canonical id question

[Drummond Reed]

>> Drummond Reed wrote:
>> 
>> Right on the money. I would go further and recommend that an RP not even
>> store the i-name, just the i-number and a user's preferred display name.
>> That way the i-name becomes really just a convenient way for the user to
>> give the RP their i-number (CanonicalID).
>> 
>Martin wrote:
>
>I agree that sites should just display a preferred display name for each 
>user, but that name needs to initially be set to something, since 
>bothering the user to enter a display name when all he wants to do is 
>sign in is a bad idea, in my opinion.
>
>The simple profile extension can supply a reasonable default, but where 
>that isn't available the supplied i-name makes a much nicer default than 
>the i-number.

Good point, Martin. You're right that the i-number (as important as the
bloody thing is) is really never something the user should never need to be
exposed to. So the i-name does make the easiest default choice for a display
name.

Unfortunately this means that eventually millions of users will one day need
to ask the question, "But what if I change my i-name? Or it's registration
lapses?" I guess it is only then that we'll need to explain to them about
the i-number.

=Drummond