Re: Machine Identity

[der Mouse <[e-mail]>]

> Of course, an entity must not be able to take the identity of another
> one, for instance to steal its reputation.  Hence the need for
> authentication.

That's extremely hard, unless you add "...without the cooperation of
the entity whose identity is being copied" to the end of the first
sentence.

> On the other hand, being able to generate a lot of identities is not
> a problem: an entity which would do so would start at a reputation of
> zero, which is not its interest.

It is if that entity's own reputation is negative.  This, for example,
is why spammers register throwaway domains.  In your P2P example, think
serious leechers.

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