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

[David Hopwood]

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

In some (most?) situations it is sufficient to identify a persona; in others
it is required to identify a person.

(The essay I referred to says as much, but so verbosely that it is difficult
to make out the point.)

-- 
David Hopwood <david.nospam.hopwood at blueyonder.co.uk>