[cap-talk] "ambient authority" on wiki.erights.org

[Rob Meijer]

On Mon, June 15, 2009 01:22, David-Sarah Hopwood wrote:
> Rob Meijer wrote:
>> On Sun, June 14, 2009 15:46, David-Sarah Hopwood wrote:
>>> That is why I/we think the Wikipedia article is correct in describing
>>> "ambient authority" primarily as a way of exercising permission (and
>>> therefore authority) rather than primarily as a category of systems.
>>
>> At this step you lost me. To me neither "a way of exercising
>> permissions"
>> nor "a category of systems" could fit a definition of "xxxxxx
>> authority".
>
> Well, perhaps the term should have been "ambient permission".
>
> I am skeptical of the value of trying to change it now, though.
>
>> I feel a definition of "ambient authority" should be described as a
>> "subset" of the authority of an actor.
>
> You might feel that, but that does not seem to be the concept that
> Mark Miller and Dean Tribble coined the term "ambient authority" to
> describe.

Possible, but I would doubt anyone, especially including these two should
be happy if ambient authority did end up to mean something that increased
the ongoing confusion about permissions versus authority.

Lets for a moment introduce the term 'ambient permissions' in order to get
to the core issue.

I would think, given your above statements, that you would feel the
following might be a fair definition of "ambient authority":

1) "The subset of the authority of an actor that it derives from its
ability to use ambient permissions in a non designating way."

Where I would feel the following might be a more useful definition (thus
including static permissions):

2) "The subset of the authority of an actor that it derives from its
ability to use ambient permissions. (either in a designating or non
designating way)."

If the first one fits you, than the basis of disagreement is simple and
clear, and thus the resolution of that essential part of the definition
would be simple: lets go ask Mark and/or Dean.
If it doesn't fit you, than could you say how 1 differs from your view?

Rob