Re: [Gzz] Dart: Digital archives without patented techology

[Benja Fallenstein]

Benja Fallenstein wrote:
> ===========================================
> Digital archives without patented techology
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Three additional notes about this dart.

First, we can make it so that you don't need to register with a deputy 
before you can start using the system for yourself.

Instead, you could create an identity simply by creating a file 
containing data identifying you, like--

    name
    address
    e-mail
    current public key

    REQUIRED: the deputy you want to use

The hash of this file is your identity; URIs in your namespace could 
look something like,

    urn:x-foo:<hash>:<localname>

where <hash> is your identity.

You can then start to use the system off-line, and signatures will be 
axiomatic (the hash of 'signed' messages will be stored in a list on 
your harddisk, and anything in that list will be considered signed by you).

Later you can go online, and send the identity file to the deputy you 
picked, and authenticate yourself to the deputy using the information 
from the identity file (most simply, the public key). Then you can 
submit (the hashes of) the messages on your harddisk to the deputy to 
acquire a real, global signature on them.

To resolve x-foo URIs, people would need to have your identity file. 
They'd check the hash of the identity file against the hash in the URI. 
If it matches, they would accept any signature that is given by the 
deputy named in the identity file.

So you could acquire a global, deputy-based id without going online, 
when setting up your Storm system. (You'd need to do this once before 
you could create pointers in Storm.)


Second, I think the system easily extends to documents that can be 
changed by groups of people, e.g. a CVS repository. Simply have the 
deputy authenticate signatures from any member of the group. For each 
member of the group, register that member's public key as one that can 
sign promises for the group.

When a member leaves the group, revoke that member's public key for use 
in that group.


Third, the deputy hierarchy can be used to provide mnemonic, DNS-like 
names for documents. For example,

    urn:x-deputies:foo:fenfire:manifesto

The root deputy would name the first-level deputy (foo); the first-level 
deputy would name the second-level deputy (fenfire) which would name the 
document.

A message would be signed by urn:x-deputies:foo:fenfire:manifesto's 
owner if the root deputy says that 'foo' says that 'fenfire' says that 
'manifesto's owner signed that message.

Of course, in accord with URN policies, a name must never be reassigned.

This would be a way to implement the "URI-on-the-side-of-a-bus" thing in 
our framework, with secure histories provided for these URIs.

- Benja