A Standard Internet Profile

[ashleyday56]

Here is a very general idea, im expecting it to be useless or already
thought of/dismissed by the time you have even read it as we cant
create technology fast enough apparently??

Anyway... i recently experienced the annoyance of creating many
Internet/Web accounts repeating information and thought why do we not
have a "Standard Web Profile" or some sort, everyone could have a XML
profile (data parts encrypted maybe?) which holds details they choose
from a set of fields. This can uploaded to a secure parser component on
a webpage which asks which details you would like to fetch from your
profile and which you would like to enter manually, it could then fill
in most of your details from your profile so you dont have to enter all
your details - i suppose this could become extended even more into such
things as a certificate for a user but thats probably another long
story.... so anyway i would presume with the great minds out there this
could be improved/slated but it was just an idea which i thought was
quite interesting?

Anyone have an opinion/comments?
P.S. Why do so many 'good' technical poeple use such a sub-standard,
unorganized, un-structured mess (usenet)???

Ash

[Harlan Messinger]

as*********@googlemail.com wrote:

Here is a very general idea, im expecting it to be useless or already
thought of/dismissed by the time you have even read it as we cant
create technology fast enough apparently??

Anyway... i recently experienced the annoyance of creating many
Internet/Web accounts repeating information and thought why do we not
have a "Standard Web Profile" or some sort, everyone could have a XML
profile (data parts encrypted maybe?) which holds details they choose
from a set of fields.

Microsoft Passport.

This can uploaded to a secure parser component on
a webpage which asks which details you would like to fetch from your
profile and which you would like to enter manually, it could then fill
in most of your details from your profile so you dont have to enter all
your details - i suppose this could become extended even more into such
things as a certificate for a user but thats probably another long
story....

On the user side--Google Toolbar.

so anyway i would presume with the great minds out there this
could be improved/slated but it was just an idea which i thought was
quite interesting?

Anyone have an opinion/comments?

P.S. Why do so many 'good' technical poeple use such a sub-standard,
unorganized, un-structured mess (usenet)???

What's unstructured about it? I use it because it serves my needs and
interests.

[Ash]

Its uncontrolled and therefore unstructured, there are so many
"sub-groups" that it cannot possibly have a consistent structure as it
defies the basic concepts.

If it serves your needs then that is a different matter, i just wondred
how so many good people were able to put up with such a different
conceptual approach...

But i suppose in a world where humans are not perfect and are allowed
to create/change things there will always be problems!
Harlan Messinger wrote:

as*********@googlemail.com wrote:

Here is a very general idea, im expecting it to be useless or already
thought of/dismissed by the time you have even read it as we cant
create technology fast enough apparently??

Anyway... i recently experienced the annoyance of creating many
Internet/Web accounts repeating information and thought why do we not
have a "Standard Web Profile" or some sort, everyone could have a XML
profile (data parts encrypted maybe?) which holds details they choose
from a set of fields.

Microsoft Passport.

This can uploaded to a secure parser component on
a webpage which asks which details you would like to fetch from your
profile and which you would like to enter manually, it could then fill
in most of your details from your profile so you dont have to enter all
your details - i suppose this could become extended even more into such
things as a certificate for a user but thats probably another long
story....

On the user side--Google Toolbar.

so anyway i would presume with the great minds out there this
could be improved/slated but it was just an idea which i thought was
quite interesting?

Anyone have an opinion/comments?

P.S. Why do so many 'good' technical poeple use such a sub-standard,
unorganized, un-structured mess (usenet)???

What's unstructured about it? I use it because it serves my needs and
interests.

[Chris Morris]

Harlan Messinger <hm*******************@comcast.netwrites:

as*********@googlemail.com wrote:

Anyway... i recently experienced the annoyance of creating many
Internet/Web accounts repeating information and thought why do we not
have a "Standard Web Profile" or some sort, everyone could have a XML
profile (data parts encrypted maybe?) which holds details they choose
from a set of fields.

Microsoft Passport.

Shibboleth is another project for the same sort of thing.
http://shibboleth.internet2.edu/
The Shibboleth server holds the details (and it's that you log in to),
and only reveals them to the service provider on a need-to-know basis.

There's another similar project which I can't remember the name of.

Also the *much* earlier Athens system widely used in UK academia (and
elsewhere) to allow people to use their University identity on
external websites. That was well established in the late 90s and is
still running - it's a very old idea.

It works very well in places like academic institutions, where the
external websites are happy to trust the universities'
authentication. For an arbitrary website and an arbitrary service
provider - less so (how many non-MS sites use Passport?
Insignificantly few, I expect. Conversely single sign-on like this is
ideal for MS sites from both a user and server view)

--
Chris

[David E. Ross]

as*********@googlemail.com wrote:

Here is a very general idea, im expecting it to be useless or already
thought of/dismissed by the time you have even read it as we cant
create technology fast enough apparently??

Anyway... i recently experienced the annoyance of creating many
Internet/Web accounts repeating information and thought why do we not
have a "Standard Web Profile" or some sort, everyone could have a XML
profile (data parts encrypted maybe?) which holds details they choose
from a set of fields. This can uploaded to a secure parser component on
a webpage which asks which details you would like to fetch from your
profile and which you would like to enter manually, it could then fill
in most of your details from your profile so you dont have to enter all
your details - i suppose this could become extended even more into such
things as a certificate for a user but thats probably another long
story.... so anyway i would presume with the great minds out there this
could be improved/slated but it was just an idea which i thought was
quite interesting?

Anyone have an opinion/comments?
P.S. Why do so many 'good' technical poeple use such a sub-standard,
unorganized, un-structured mess (usenet)???

Ash

If you are talking about the need to keep inputting the same data into
Web forms, that's already a capability in the various Mozilla browsers
(Firfox, SeaMonkey, and maybe Camino). The data are saved on your own
computer in a file that can be encrypted with a passphrase for allowing
decryption.

--

David E. Ross
<http://www.rossde.com/>

Concerned about someone (e.g., Pres. Bush) snooping
into your E-mail? Use PGP.
See my <http://www.rossde.com/PGP/>

[Ash]

Some interesting comments here and Passport was an obvious one which I
completely forgot about! Still it's not on the scale i was
considering, looking at Shibboleth this is more inline with my initial
thoughts on the idea.

So it is already out there and its quite an interesting subject too,
thanks for your input Chris its much appreciated for other tech ppl's
input/comments/ideas.

I suppose like many other standards there will always be too many
'versions' proprietary and all, its getting one to be agreed to.

So anyway will Internet 2 force a SSO (Single Sign-On) situation to
arise on the internet or is it just another standard which is going to
have to fight for its space on the net?

Ash

Chris Morris wrote:

Harlan Messinger <hm*******************@comcast.netwrites:

as*********@googlemail.com wrote:

Anyway... i recently experienced the annoyance of creating many
Internet/Web accounts repeating information and thought why do we not
have a "Standard Web Profile" or some sort, everyone could have a XML
profile (data parts encrypted maybe?) which holds details they choose
from a set of fields.

Microsoft Passport.

Shibboleth is another project for the same sort of thing.
http://shibboleth.internet2.edu/
The Shibboleth server holds the details (and it's that you log in to),
and only reveals them to the service provider on a need-to-know basis.

There's another similar project which I can't remember the name of.

Also the *much* earlier Athens system widely used in UK academia (and
elsewhere) to allow people to use their University identity on
external websites. That was well established in the late 90s and is
still running - it's a very old idea.

It works very well in places like academic institutions, where the
external websites are happy to trust the universities'
authentication. For an arbitrary website and an arbitrary service
provider - less so (how many non-MS sites use Passport?
Insignificantly few, I expect. Conversely single sign-on like this is
ideal for MS sites from both a user and server view)

--
Chris