[cap-talk] what is designation

[John Carlson]

On Feb 24, 2009, at 9:05 AM, David-Sarah Hopwood wrote:

> John Carlson wrote:
>> On Feb 24, 2009, at 3:01 AM, Toby Murray wrote:
>>> On Tue, 2009-02-24 at 10:43 +0000, David-Sarah Hopwood wrote:
>>>> Ben Laurie wrote:
>>>>> On Tue, Feb 24, 2009 at 9:13 AM, John Carlson
>>>>> <john.carlson3 at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>>>>>> Can someone explain what designation is when it comes to
>>>>>> capabilities?  I think it's the act of giving authority.
>>>>>
>>>>> Designation is the user selecting something, for example, a file
>>>>> in a file open dialog, or dropping some drag'n'drop thing, or  
>>>>> pasting.
>>>>
>>>> From the point of view of an access control system, it is subjects
>>>> that designate, only sometimes on behalf of a single specific user.
>>
>> This sounds like subjects designate.
>>
>>> It is worth remembering that designating comes in two flavours:  
>>> naming
>>> and pointing. Pointers usually (but probably don't have to) carry
>>> permission to access the thing being designated. Names usually do  
>>> not,
>>> except when they designate capabilities. Capabilities are usually
>>> thought of as pointers, but sometimes also thought of as names
>>
>> This sounds like names designate.
>>
>> I think this requires more explanation.
>
> Subjects designate using designators. A designator is a name.
> Some names are capabilities.

designators sound like addresses.  Like, how do I address you?  Some  
addresses are capabilities.
I guess a designator is capability-speak for address.  Right?  I  
assume that an index is a local address.

John