[cap-talk] Webkeys vs. the web

[zooko]

On Apr 1, 2009, at 16:11 PM, ihab.awad at gmail.com wrote:

> The URL that is in the browser's address bar is dangerous because  
> users share it with the expectation that it, by itself, conveys no  
> authority.
>
> Thus any URLs that *do*, by themselves, convey authority must not  
> be displayed in a browser's address bar.

I'm very slowly and carefully approaching this position from the  
current position (in Tahoe) that the URL that is in the browser's  
address bar is the *sole* conveyance of *all* authority!

My current belief is that users expect the URL-widget to convey read- 
authority to the latest version of the current resource, but not any  
authority to update, change, write that resource.

Therefore, I will encourage people writing Tahoe frontends to leave  
read-only caps in the URL but to sequested write-caps behind some  
other user action, such as "click this button to generate a write cap".

Regards,

Zooko