Re: Credential "Negotiation" Complexity

[Anders Rundgren <anders.rundgren@telia.com>]

Hal,

> > I find this example strange.  If it is a "fact" that an 
> > Assistant Professor of Computer Science
> > implies a Phd in the same subject, why did not the AP 
> > provided the credential asked for?
> > 
> > Regardless of scheme used, all parties must agree on format 
> > and exact semantics of
> > credentials. 
> 
> I was trying to illustrate that the policy of credentials mapping (response,
> negotiation) may not be that simple. 
> 
> I do not agree that agreement on semantics is even remotely likely.

OK, so what you are saying is that SSO between different web-sites with non-agreed
upon credentials DOES work, while negotiation of such non-agreed items DOES NOT work?

Regardless of the likelyhood of such agreements, I would say that unfortunately NONE of this works.

Referring to my usual field of work, e-business, it is no different than what you get when an organisation tries
to send Purchase Orders to business partners using its own favorite format:  "Core dumped", "Blue screen",
or "Null pointer exception" depending on platform :-).  I.e. without mutual agreements you get nowhere.

Anders