Re: [webfinger] [appsawg] #12: Semantic gap for the client side

[Peter Saint-Andre <[e-mail]>]

On 6/14/13 12:00 PM, Pete Resnick wrote:

>>>> Each URI queried might return the same or different information.  The
>>>> specifications that rely on WebFinger would state explicitly what
>>>> URI to
>>>> use.  As an example, the OpenID Connect specs state that
>>>> acct:[e-mail] would be used to issue a WebFinger query.
>>>>        
>>> That's the part that scares me. Let's say I'm not using OpenID Connect.
>>> Let's saying I'm using the "PeteID Info" protocol. Do I get to redefine
>>> what an acct: URI returns? If so, that's completely non-interoperable.
>>>      
>> No, but you might define a new link type.
>>    
> 
> Let's skip link types. Let's talk about properties. What properties can
> I expect to get back for the acct: URI webfinger query? Where is this
> documented? For instance, how do I ask for the full name of the person
> associated with the account? Other than the example in 4.4.3, I find
> nothing in this document or the -acct-uri document that tells me what I
> can expect, or how I can even ask the question.

WebFinger enables the client to say "please tell me more about this
account", not "please tell me the full name of the person associated
with this account". The response might include a pointer to a URI for
the vCard, and if you retrieve that vCard it will probably contain the
full name. But the WebFinger server just gives you pointers to data, not
the data itself. Or so it seems to me.

Peter

-- 
Peter Saint-Andre
https://stpeter.im/