Client

Full Title or Meme

Nobody has a clue what a client means when either side in a transaction can be called the client.

1. The role of any provider that requires getting authentication from a separate Identifier or Attribute Provider Role.
2. The role of a user that seeks to use resources on an internet based server.

Context

• The term Client has multiple meanings though-out computer science. Typically it is used in the context of client-server computing.
• OAuth 2.0 really messed with people's minds by calling a Relying Party a client of a user when the user grants it access to user-controlled resources.
  • See the wiki page OAuth Client for a discussion about when and whether a computer user should trust such an entity.

Solution

Don't use the term Client unless you are a lawyer.