DID(Decentralized Identifier)s for Knowledge Gardens
What is a DID?
DIDs are Decentralized Identifiers. Decentralization and Identifiers are two distinct concepts we need to explain in separately.
Let's start by articulating what the "Identifier" in DID(Decentralized Identifier) means. All the accounts and ways of digitally communicating with people and organizations, groups of people, count as Identifiers. Examples of identifiers include accounts on Instagram or Discord, email addresses, phone numbers, and Domain Names(Websites). If you add someone on Discord, follow someone on Instagram, send an email, or call via Phone Number you are using an "identifier" to contact a person or organization of people.
All the examples of identifiers provided in the previous paragraph are examples of Centralized Identifiers. The difference between centralized and decentralized identifiers comes down to Sovereignty. Sovereignty, in the case of digital identities, comes down to the question, "Do you have independent control over your digital identity?". Let's think through Sovereignty of Digital Identity with an example.
Let's use gmail email addresses as an example of digital identity. A gmail email address can be used to message people, and organizations and receive messages from people and organizations. People do not own their gmail email address, Google own's all gmail email addresses. At any point in time Google has the authority and capacity to lock people out of their gmail email accounts and stop sending and receiving their Email. Google has the capacity to take away anyone's gmail account at anytime therefore people with gmail accounts do not have "independent control" over their gmail account.
gmail is an example of Centralized Identifier's that people use. gmail is centralized because Google can take away access and act as any gmail account whenever they so decide. People do now own their gmail account, Google just lets them use their account. Nearly all internet accounts are Centralized Identifiers just like gmail. Instagram, centralized, Discord centralized, Domain Names centralized, Phone Numbers centralized. Each type of identifier previously listed are identifiers that organizations, groups of people, allow other people to use.
Now let's articulate what Decentralization means within the context of Decentralized Identifiers. As previously articulated, Sovereignty means to have independent control over something. As previously articulated, Google can not only read all your emails but can send emails pretending to be you. Other digital platforms like Instagram and Discord can do the same thing. Sovereignty of digital identity requires two things,
- Authenticity of Identifier, Nobody besides myself can send messages using my identifier
- Privacy, Nobody can intercept and read messages I send to people and organizations(Group of People)
The only way to have Sovereignty over an identifier is to use Cryptography. Cryptography is the key technology that allows DID(Decentralized Identifier)s to be decentralized. let's articulate what Cryptography is and how people use use it in their daily lives.
Cryptography helps solve two problems. First, authenticity of an identifier, second Privacy of communication with an identifier. When communicating digitally through the internet with identifiers ones data touches many different computer networks owned by many different organizations on its way to an identifier. All of the organizations routing your data to an identifier can see what data you are transmitting as well as where are are sending it. Examples of organizations that transmit internet data include AT&T, Rogers Communications, and Starlink.
Today, functionally all websites, emails, and apps already use some Cryptography to communicate with people to their electronic devices. Phone Calls don't use any Cryptography. All app, email, and website servers on the internet uses a Domain Name. Domain Names are those things that end with .com, .org, or .net. The .com, .org, or .net part of a Domain Name is called a TLD(Top Level Domain). TLD(Top Level Domain)s are all centrally controlled by organizations that rent out sub domains for money. The "Google" in google.com is a subdomain to the TLD(Top Level Domain) .com. The company that owns all .com TLD(Top Level Domain)s is verisign. Resellers where you can buy Domain Names include hover.com, namecheap, tld-list.com, and my favorite Namesilo.