[UA-discuss] numbers as authenticaion ID

Thu Oct 19 20:05:56 UTC 2017

Because names and other personal data (eg postal address) are not unique and can be spelled in many different ways, I often suggest that it is better for applications to use phone numbers for searching for an individual. These days almost everyone (above a certain poverty level) has a cell phone and therefore a unique number.

However, in many countries, and I thought India was one, not everyone has a phone. Also, people want to have more than one mail address to have for different purposes or to limit who can reach them or when they can be reached, etc.

Using a phone number might make it easier for spammers to guess how they can reach individuals because (most) phone numbers are public.

Using all digits might also make it likely that typos or transpositions would send confidential mail to the wrong person, whereas the larger space of alphabetic emails makes it more likely that the erroneous mail id is unused.

Phone numbers also get reassigned to other users when someone gives a number up, so that could mean a change in carriers or other event causing you to change numbers would drive changing your email, which is a hassle.

Digits are easy to type but hard to remember for people that call you. Especially 10 or so digits. I can tell you email me at tex at google.com and you would remember it, but 1234567890 at google.com would need to be written down or otherwise communicated.

Nevertheless for people that have trouble with alphabetics (typing or other issues) digits can be effective. It may need to be telephone plus other digits that are less prescribed (birthday, postal code, or users random choice)

However, the individual you describe will still have trouble typing in other people’s email addresses and domain names. And he doesn’t have to type his own email as often as that of others. (from fields are usually auto-filled) So digits may not be a solution for his real problem.

For the situation you describe, I wonder if a better solution is to create an input method that maps digits or other key presses to type tamil more easily. Or perhaps offer more of a wizard for typing tamil coupled with more predictive typing and data entry. That may also help him with typing the contents of his email since he or she will still have trouble entering tamil content.

Hth

Tex

From: ua-discuss-bounces at icann.org [mailto:ua-discuss-bounces at icann.org] On Behalf Of Dr Ajay Data
Sent: Thursday, October 19, 2017 12:13 PM
To: ua-discuss at icann.org
Subject: [UA-discuss] numbers as authenticaion ID

Dear Friend, 

I would like to present a situation where

a person-
do not know English at all.
do know little bit of writing in Tamil language
do know very well to read Tamil language

can read write and understands all the 0-9 numbers.

While he was using Tamil ID, he complained multiple times as he could not type his email ID very well every time and made mistake most of the time he tried to login.

We did innovation there and gave him his mobile number as a login ID and numbers as password. Since than he do not have any complaint.  Obviously his email remained same. 

With this kind of case and result, do you think its also idea worth exploring in EAI and IDN`s to also map them with numerical ID and this can also eliminate need of UTF related checks on the login webpage. 

Just a food for though to get negative/positive feedback`s, ideas and suggestions.  I would be also happy to know if we can think the problems may occur and may see roadblocks. 

Thank you. 

Dr. Ajay DATA  | Founder & CEO 

Get email id like  <mailto:???@????.????> अजय@डाटा.भारत in your own language,
visit  <http://www.xgenplus.com/> www.xgenplus.com 

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[HID]20171020004317215[-HID]

  <https://data.in/XGenPlusMessageID:1508440397137587a-#RCPT#.jpg>   <http://dlr.tbms.in:8077/XET33204:201710.jpg> 

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