FoaF and automated signup

[CloCkWeRX]

Why:
I go to a heaps of sites every day. Some are running phpbb, and I need to lodge a support request/other.

So, I have to sign up for an account I am going to use maybe three to four times, then never again.

Filling out user data on signup takes about 3 minutes. Waiting for a confirm email takes another 3. 6 minutes of my life, you might think isn't so bad, but thats 6 minutes *every* time i wish to post a simple question.

What:
FoaF is an XML, RDF format for describing people, places and relationships between them. Many of the w3c are using it, and you can find out more at http://www.foaf-project.org/

Its a machine readable homepage, basically. Its like a profile you point people to and they can learn all about you, your friends, and so forth.

What I want (plan to do when i get time) is to be able to type in a FOAF url about myself and describe me instantly. It provides lightwieght authentication with a sha1 of my email address - so I type in my email address, phpbb calcs a sha1 of it, and compares it to my FOAF's sha1.

This means I have to fill in maybe 6 fields: Username, password, confirm pass, email, confirm email, FOAF.

Other:
FoaF output of profile. Meaning, I could use my FOAF from ANOTHER phpbb to fill out information at the current phpbb.

Mass Update:
Here's the advantage. I change some information about myself. I do it in my FoaF.

phpBB A detects a change the next time someone looks at my profile. It then updates the information and flags my profile not to be checked for another 30 days or so.

phpBB B updates from phpBBA or my original FOAF, whichever I told it. You get a cascade of events happening.

If you are interested in helping with development, please contact me: webmaster@freshfm.com.au

or

http://www.ahsonline.com.au/dod/FOAF.rdf

Note:
the FOAF mod for phpBB is just one of the many foaf enabled modifications I am working on; the other one is phpwiki - so this idea won't just be for phpBB's, but *any* online communication resource that has a profile.

[CloCkWeRX]

Trial it at:
http://www.ahsonline.com.au/dod/PHPbb-F ... -0.0.1.zip
Or see:
http://www.ahsonline.com.au/dod/ for updates & further releases. Suggestions and feedback welcome!

[TeMPeST]

This is kind of interesting. Have there been any updates since?

[damnian]

Since CloCkWeRX stopped developing this long ago, I figured the best way to celebrate 3 years to this topic would be starting this