DIDs Are Cool. We Didn't Need Them
3 hours ago
- #Web Attribution
- #Decentralized Identity
- #Identity Primitives
- The author considered using DIDs (Decentralized Identifiers) but found them too heavy for their use case, opting instead for a simpler identity primitive.
- The primitive is structured as 'subject = namespace:id', leveraging existing web identities like GitHub usernames, Twitter handles, and email addresses embedded in web content.
- This approach avoids the need for new identifier formats, resolution layers, or trust frameworks, focusing on legibility and immediate usability over perfection.
- The system is part of building an 'attribution layer' for the web to reward contributions, similar to a crude implementation of transclusion or a web-friendly ASCAP.
- Identifiers are validated through methods like OAuth, DNS, and profile proofs, but the method is messy due to platform changes and custom parsers, yet works on the current web without migration.
- Supported namespaces include BlueSky, GitHub, Twitter/X, and others, with DID compatibility as just another namespace option.
- The In a Moon extension demonstrates the pervasiveness of these embedded identifiers, encouraging users to try it out.