[cap-talk] A can of worms, or, "why do we care so much about identities?"

[Jed Donnelley]

At 09:04 AM 12/11/2006, Karp, Alan H wrote:
>Jed wrote:
> >
> > Still, I'm struck most by how the situation in computer systems seems
> > much simpler to me.  Just thinking in terms of public/private key
> > pairs, they can be created, the public key shared, trust developed,
> > etc. regardless of the nuances of self behind the identity.
> >
>It's important to remember that private keys can be shared just as
>easily as public keys.

Of course, but to me that makes the point rather than weakening it.
Again I go back to my "worse case" scenario of communication from
outer space with no possibility of physical (non light) contact.

>We may have problems if we act as if a private key identifies a person.

The point I'm trying to make is that we can only develop trust
in an identity in the computer world.  Binding a person to an
identity and with that binding the trust in a person to that
identity is just another form of adding "trust" to an identity.

I personally find this view quite, hmmm, I guess "liberating"
would be a good word.

--Jed  http://www.webstart.com/jed-signature.html