RE: e-name normalization (and client interpretation)

["Drummond Reed" <drummond.reed@cordance.net>]

Fen,

Thanks much for bringing this issue up. I think it's important to point out
that the issue of e-name/e-number (generic terms for globally resolvable
reassignable/persistent XRIs) normalization rules are specific to the
identifier authorities managing the applicable global e-name/e-number
spaces.

Therefore I believe the best forums for this discussion are the XRI/XDI
mailing list and wikiweb that Identity Commons have set up for this purpose,
and to which Fen also sent this message.

If you are an XRI or XDI TC member and wish to be involved in the discussion
of these types of XRI/XDI implementation issues, please do join that mailing
list and wiki. For those who missed that message earlier, Fen's instructions
for doing this follow below:

-----Original Message-----
From: Fen Labalme [mailto:fen@idcommons.org]
Sent: Tuesday, March 02, 2004 9:37 AM
To: Wachob, Gabe
Cc: XRI list; XDI list
Subject: XRI (and xdi?) public discussion list?

I just created a publicly available mailing list <xrixdi@idcommons.net> at

        http://idcommons.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/xrixdi

List messages will be archived.

To add an extra dimension, I've created a wiki http://xrixdi.idcommons.net

In order to participate (edit) a page, you must first create an account
with your "WikiName" (FirstnameLastname, no spaces with InterCaps).
Other than that, the pages are wide open and ready for discussion.

=Fen

-----Original Message-----
From: Fen Labalme [mailto:fen@idcommons.org]
Sent: Thursday, March 04, 2004 11:47 PM
To: drummond.reed@cordance.net
Cc: xdi@lists.oasis-open.org; xri@lists.oasis-open.org; xrixdi@idcommons.net
Subject: e-name normalization (and client interpretation)

An important general question that we have to answer soon (as several of
us begin to implement e-name Registrars) is: what makes an e-name?

I've begun a wiki page on this subject to help us reach a solution as
quickly as possible (I'm also posting this to the public xrixdi email
list).  Wiki:  http://xrixdi.idcommons.net/moin.cgi/EnameNormalization

Here's the gist:

We need to specify the normalization requirements, i.e., what punctuation
chars allowed in the XRI 1.0 spec will be normalized out of GCS e-names.

Further, how will Registrars (and Registries and ID brokers, etc.)
interpret `sub-segment`s that follow a `gsc-char`?

 1. does `xri:=first.last` resolve `last` WRT the `=first` XRI-authority
  * or
 2. is `xri:=first.last` equivalent to `xri:=(first.last)` ?

While (1) is the strict conformance to the XRI spec, (2) has been
proposed as a way to help deal with the millions of e-names that we
expect to see registered.  Note that with (1), `=John` is the authority
for:

 * `=John/+email`
 * `=John.Smith/+email`
 * `=John.Adams/+email`
 * `=John/Smith/+email`

While I fear introducing exceptions from the outset, it seems like this
may be one place that we want them.

----

Another issue: do we allow `=` as the first character of a
`sub-segment`?  Note that in `xri:=foo/=bar` only `=foo` is an e-name,
while `=bar` is simple a `sub-segment` resolved WRT the '=foo` global
authority.

Again, `=foo` is a '''''legal''''' `sub-segment`, but should our
resolvers allow it, as it introduces potential confusion?

----

I hope that I am presenting these questions in a reasonable format.

Best,
=Fen (who will have to also register =Fen.Labalme if we allow the first
      exception described above...)