[Auth]Project discussion

[Ron Burk]

I'm reading posts in this list and thinking there's at
least two or more projects being discussed. The project
I'm really interested in (which may not be what anyone
else is talking about!) goes like this:

a) create a simple/small browser plug-in that manages an
    encrypted local database of personal information
    (no third-party servers for auth whatsoever, use
    the Netscape plug-in API, keep everything really
   simple).

b) create a simple specification for how web servers can
    request personal information from this plug-in using
    existing web standards (might not be much more
    complicated than creating a request in the form
    of an XML file, then referring to that file's URL in
    your web page via an <embed> tag).

c) implement the plug-in for the top browsers, try out the spec
    on some web sites, and then submit the spec to the W3C
    process.

With the right group of talent, it seems like this could all be done
within a few weeks, and offer an immediate alternative to Passport
for the very limited uses the vast majority of users make of
Passport today.

I'm not 100% sure anybody else is thinking along these
same lines. If they are, maybe this little project would be
better split off onto another mailing list. If they aren't,
then I'll shut up :-).
Ron Burk
Windows Developer's Journal, www.wdj.com