[cap-talk] FW: What do CAs contribute...an ironic short term benefit

[marcs]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: marcs [mailto:marcs at skyhunter.com] 
> Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2005 9:20 PM
> To: 'Discussion of E and other capability languages'
> Subject: What do CAs contribute...an ironic short term benefit
> 
> 
> So, let's hypothesize that Verisign and Entrust overcome all 
> the hurdles, and mankind settles upon them as the Great 
> Answer To Secure Browsing. Forget the pet names. We will all 
> have unique ids, assigned by the Powers Of Light And Truth. 
> And They Looked Down and Saw It Was Good. 
> 
> Well...ok...and so I go to the Mark Miller site. Dang! This 
> Mark Miller is a musician. Now, I've heard Mark Miller sing, 
> and it is not a pretty sight. This cannot be the real Mark Miller. 
> 
> I know what I'll do -- I'll find the real Mark Miller (whose 
> certificate is 
> MarkMillerWhoAtTheTimeOfGettingTheCertificateWasDoingObjectCap
> abilities) web site, and I'll...and I'll...ah, I know what 
> I'll do, I'll assign a Pet Name! Yes, I'll assign a book 
> mark, and call that site, and that Verisign certificate, the 
> Mark Miller certificate in my own browser. A brilliant innovation!
> 
> Uh...hmmm....now that I've assigned a pet name to that 
> certificate, which is a unique identifier all on its 
> own...remind me, what value is Verisign giving me? When I 
> send the bookmark to other people, establishing a trust path 
> to Marc's Mark Miller, what value is Verisign giving those 
> people? If I decide to start a Friends of Animals site named 
> PawPal, and Verisign won't give me the cert because it looks 
> too much like PayPal, what benefit is Verisign giving me?
> 
> Ah! A further great idea! Let's get rid of Verisign, we don't 
> need them any more! 
> 
> Cool.
> 
> --marcs
>