Identifier

Full Title or Meme

An identifier is basically a name that is assigned to a digital Entity or even to a single digital interchange (like a Session ID or cookie).

Context

• In this wiki all Identifiers apply only to digital entities which includes data base entries, like User Objects. Real-world names are considered to be merely Attributes.
• There is no meaningful distinction between a name and an Identifier.

Problems

• There is a very real confusion in the real-world as to the meaning of terms used in Identity Management.
• Lots of the energy spent by philosophers revolves around verbalism, or arguing about the meaning of words.
• The page on Knowledge discusses these problems in more detail. (tl;dr)

Solutions

This wiki seeks to have a common understanding. So terms are given more precise meaning in order that the statements made here can be more logically precise.

• Artificial Identifier
• Biometric Identifier
• Decentralized ID - aka the did is designed to support user creating and disabling of multiple Identifiers. This is the basis for Self-Sovereign Identity.
• Digital object identifier - a standardized way to create an unique identifier for an object, like a document.
• Distributed ID - this is designed to allow the distribute of User Information or Attributes across multiple sites.
• Electronic Data Interchange (EDI aka TDCC) standardized labels from ANSI X12
• Email Address - along with other Identifiers like phone number or IP address that often stands in for a legal name.
• Fake Identifier
• Global Business Identifiers aka GS1
• Legal Name a name assigned by some sort of sovereign (aka governmental) Registration Authority.
• Object Identifier an identifier that magically turns an object into an entity, which is defined as a named object.
• Medical Records Identifier
• MitID - used in Nordics mostly for banking https://www.nets.eu/dk-da/l%C3%B8sninger/nemid/mitid/Pages/NemID-is-becoming-MitID.aspx
• Pairwise Identifier - is used when tracking of a Subject ID between different Relying Parties must be blocked.
• Personal Identifier
• Principal Identifier - in this wiki is limited to the Identifier of a computer process that was started by a Subject.
• Pseudonym
• Real Identifier aka Real-World Identifier, is one attribute of a Real-world Entity, at least for entities that have legal standing.
• Self-issued Identifier was first standardized in OpenID Connect but now has become the paradigm for Self-Sovereign Identity
• Session ID - assigned to a networking session to track Attributes of the session, for example the HTTPS session.
• Subject ID - is created by entities like an Identifier or Attribute Provider to use during authentication, for example in OpenID Connect.
• Tribal Identifier - typically a name created to identify one individual from another - still survives in primitive societies today.
• Trusted Identifier
• URI - Universal Resource Identifier - an IETF standard RFC
• URL - Universal Resource Locator - an IETF standard RFC
• URN - Universal Resource Name - an IETF standard RFC
• Vulnerable Identifier for homeless or other vulnerable populations. This can also apply to emergency medicine where the patient cannot be asked for a name prior to treatment.
• Web Site Identity
• X.509 Certificate is a format that holds a Distinguished name, which is the actual Identifier.

These should all be testable on at least one of:

• Identifier or Attribute Provider which can include an openID Provider run by the user as defined in OpenID Connect.
• Certificate Authority
• Registration Authority
• Trusted Resolver
• Universal Resolver