[whatwg] Browser Signature Standards Proposal

[Michael(tm) Smith]

Alexey Feldgendler <alexey at feldgendler.ru>, 2006-11-02 15:23 +0600:

> On Thu, 02 Nov 2006 14:27:33 +0600, Anders Rundgren <anders.rundgren at telia.com> wrote:
> 
> > - A "process" that differs from authentication from the user's point of view
> 
> This is a problem of browser UI design, not of web standards.

What do you expect might happen when N different browser vendors
each go off on their own and, working in isolation from one
another, independently design and implement their own interfaces
for handling what we've been discussing?

> As I say above, this should be solved at browser UI level. The
> browsers should make it clear to the user that presenting a
> client-side certificate to a website is effectively an act of
> disclosing and proving the user's identity, and that every piece
> of information he sends to the server (every user action) is
> non-repudiable.

I'd love to hear some concrete suggestions on how you'd propose
going about making that all clear to users through the browser UI.
I just hope it's not a dialog box with text saying "Presenting a
client-side certificate to a website is effectively an act of
disclosing and proving your identity, and every piece of
information you send to the server (every action) is
non-repudiable", with a checkbox that says "Don't show me this
warning next time."

> (And, of course, presentation of any client-side
> certificates to the server should be optional, easily
> switchable, and obviously indicated.)

Again, what do you expect would happen when N different browser
vendors -- without getting together with one another to work on
any kind of specification for a mechanism for handling all that --
independently design and implement their own mechanisms?

  --Mike
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