[cap-talk] What's an authenticated authentication?

[Ludovic Courtès]

Hi,

Matej Kosik <kosik at fiit.stuba.sk> writes:

> Ludovic Courtès wrote:

[...]

>> Looking at the definitions of `authenticate' and `authentication' makes
>> me wonder about the meaning of this API in English (from WordNet):
>> 
>>   1. (1) authenticate -- (establish the authenticity of something)
>
> This makes sense.

The definitions are from WordNet (these are English definitions, not
taking into account CS usage, should it be different), so they surely
make sense.  ;-)

>> So this method literally "establishes the authenticity of a mark that
>> validates the authenticity of something"?
>
> This sentence makes no sense to me.

I was playing devil's advocate by translating literally the method
signature using the above definitions.

> Already the first sentence:
>
> "Broadly speaking, authentication is any procedure or test that
> determines whether an object is trustworthy or genuine."
>
> is disputable. I would delete the word "trustworthy". Authentication
> does not estabilish trustworthiness. That is a delusion.

Agreed.  I think Section 2.3 makes a lot of sense, though.

Thanks,
Ludo'.