Why not call it "Windows Identity Foundation"?

Question

I just came across the new name (Cardspace) and I'd have to say I think it's unfortunate you didn't follow the convention set by the other .NET 3.0 components.

Windows Communication Foundation
Windows Presentation Foundation
Windows Workflow Foundation
  and
Cardspace?

I guess it's an improvement over InfoCard, but not by much. The correct name would clearly have been:

Windows Identity Foundation

People would immediately understand a name like that. Cardspace on the other hand sounds like some kind of card game widget for MySpace pages.

I'm sure it's a little late at this point to change the name again, but I thought there might be someone inside Microsoft who was pulling for a different name, perhaps even "Windows Identity Foundation", and now he or she can say "I told you so!".

 

 

 

Answer 1

For what it's worth : approximately three years after your comment, 'Windows Identity Foundation' is now a product (codenamed Geneva) but ties in a bunch of other federation and authentication details in addition to cardspace. I suppose the name proved too irresistable. Hope you get some gratification from having called it early. rgds, Warren

Answer 2

For what it's worth : approximately three years after your comment, 'Windows Identity Foundation' is now a product (codenamed Geneva) but ties in a bunch of other federation and authentication details in addition to cardspace. I suppose the name proved too irresistable. Hope you get some gratification from having called it early. rgds, Warren

I am looking for Windows Identity Foundation but can't seem to find it in the MSDN subscriber downloads. Is it under a different name?

Answer 3

Bill, internet search is your friend, but you're right - the technology is tricky to get started with. A few leads for you:

Windows Identity Foundation SDK
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=c148b2df-c7af-46bb-9162-2c9422208504

Also have a read of everything this guy has to say, he's a guru on the technology and he has written quite a few articles on how it can be used in applications, etc.
http://blogs.msdn.com/vbertocci/default.aspx

beers,