Windows Cardspace
I just found out that Infocard has a new name “Windows Cardspace”. Do you know what “Windows Cardspace” is?Let me try to explain it briefly. Today we all have the same issues of storing passwords we have not only for our PC but also for subscriptions. We always have to fill in the same information. As Passport did work well with Hotmail most of us did not want to use it for doing other things with it. Why because it comes from Microsoft and even I don’t want to use Passport to do my e-banking. That’s why “Windows Cardspace” formerly known as Infocard will (can) change the way we enter information or the way we identify ourselves to different services.
The identity will be represented as signed set of claims. A claim is what you or someone else have to say about you. So how will this work you go to a online web store and when you want to pay for the items you just bought the system will ask you for your identity (claim) so you could send your personal information card and the system would then require a third party claim to be sure that your information is correct.
Imagine that the only thing you have to do to subscribe to online sites, magazines, etc … is sending you self issued identity card. I like the idea to have multiple card where one will be my real identity for sites we trust and another one can be just a rubbish identity for sites you don’t trust.
Anyhow if you want to know more about “Windows Cardspace” here are some resources:
MSDN
A first look at Infocard
Introducing Infocard
Microsoft's Vision for an Identity Metasystem
Kim Cameron
Channel 9
Video about how Infocard works
Tags: Infocard, Windows Cardspace, Microsoft, Identity