search

w3c-ccg / did-spec

Please see README.md for latest version being developed by W3C DID WG.
https://w3c.github.io/did-core/
Other
124 stars 45 forks source link

[URIs, URLs, and URNs] Section doesn't conclude with a precise declaration of what a DID is. #155

Closed mwherman2000 closed 5 years ago

mwherman2000 commented 5 years ago

In https://w3c-ccg.github.io/did-spec/#uris-urls-and-urns, the section doesn't conclude with a precise declaration of what a DID is.

My understanding is that the id (DID) attribute (aka "DID") of a DID Document/DID Entity is actually a URN ...a subclass of URI ...and specifically not a URL. URL is a centralized concept. A URL is a locator.

jandrieu commented 5 years ago

DIDs are more than the id field on the DID document. They are the URL that resolves to the DID Document.

dmitrizagidulin commented 5 years ago

the section doesn't conclude with a precise declaration of what a DID is

It does say that "DIDs have a foundation in URLs". Would you prefer that it explicitly states "DIDs are URLs"?

My understanding is that the id (DID) attribute (aka "DID") of a DID Document/DID Entity is actually URN

Makes sense. The current strong community consensus, however, is that DIDs are URLs, not URNs.

mwherman2000 commented 5 years ago

@dmitrizagidulin Separate from #156, this issue is asking for a concluding sentence be added to the end of this section that clearly states that: "A DID is...."

mwherman2000 commented 5 years ago

@jandrieu, Markus (@peacekeeper) uses some interesting language in this ssimeetup.org video: https://ssimeetup.org/did-resolution-given-did-how-do-retrieve-document-markus-sabadello-webinar-13/:

DIDs are valid URIs but they are both URNs (meaning they are persistent identifiers) and they are also URLs (because they are dereferencible). Timecode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gf2g4O3yqCc&t=120

I believe this is close to being the concluding statement that is needed for this section of the draft DID spec.

dmitrizagidulin commented 5 years ago

That seems like reasonable language (that they're both URNs and URLs, with explanation).

mwherman2000 commented 5 years ago

This discussion has moved to PR https://github.com/w3c-ccg/did-spec/pull/159 (which, in turn, will be closed once @rhiaro has created a new PR for the restructured DID spec).