----- Forwarded message from Al Evans <anejr at tbtm.org> ----- Subject: Vpim in use From: Al Evans <anejr at tbtm.org> Date: Mon, 3 Apr 2006 12:25:45 -0500 To: Sam Roberts <sroberts at uniserve.com> X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.746.3) Sam, I just wanted to let you know I''ve got a site up that makes use of Vpim. The software works great. In fact, it led to the realization that vCard is an ideal format for storing user information in a database:-) Single field, no hassle, encode and decode as required. Here''s the "official test announcement": I''ve just put a new Ruby On Rails application up for testing at: <http://rtest.openprofile.net> Open Profile can be used as a login and user profile module for any Ruby On Rails application. Its purpose is to minimize the hassle of joining new web forums (or anything else on the web that requires you to enter a user name, email addres, password twice, etc.). If it''s widely adopted, OpenProfile can reduce this whole process to entering a single URL (and, as required, your OpenID server password). It uses the OpenID protocol for establishing user identity. If the user''s OpenID URL is successfuly verified, it presents a form in which he can enter his profile information. He can type this information in manually, or upload a vCard from which it will be extracted automatically. The user can upload a photo or other graphic to be associated with his profile. The OpenID URL the user gives may point to a web page that has an hcard containing his profile information, in addition to the links to his OpenID server and delegate. Open Profile will automatically retrieve this hcard when it authenticates a new user, and will present it as the default information for the "edit profile" operation. Optionally, the user can add a "Profile Reference" when he edits his profile information. This is a single word to be used to retrieve his profile by name. He can then give, for example, "rtest.openprofile.net/profile/someword" as an OpenID URL to be used to log into another system. Open Profile will produce a web page that contains the data required for the OpenID server, along with an hcard containing his profile information. If the other system uses Open Profile, it will automatically acquire his profile information in the process of authenticating him. --Al Evans-- ----- End forwarded message -----