1/21/2020
The aim of this taxonomy is to categorize and define the types of efforts related to blockchains to add clarity when writing and speaking of the efforts using language that may be broadly understood (outside of techspeak).
We are seeking your feedback on the terms and definitions below. Also, please suggest any categories that are missing. Please add your suggestions in the comments. You may reach me at kerri@openworksgrp.com.
Thanks!
Term | Definition |
Application | Centralized web and/or mobile software (front-end and/or back-end); may also include APIs. |
DApp | Decentralized application - Whole or part of logic on a decentralized network; built on a peer-to-peer network like a blockchain; May have their own blockchain. |
Initiatives | Groups of stakeholders collaborating to educate, develop pilots, & set policy. |
Blockchain Platform | A decentralized, distributed, immutable ledger. |
Project | Implementation of an Application, DApp, or Intermediary System. |
Intermediary System | Standard or specification for data and procedure that may include libraries, protocols, applications; is not a blockchain in and of itself. |
Private Consortium | Organization members collaborating to set standards, governance, development, and hosting of a private blockchain and its related applications. |
Public Permissioned Consortium | Organization members collaborating to set standards, governance, development, and hosting of a public permissioned blockchain and its related applications. |
Person | A human being, alive or deceased, as recognized by each jurisdiction’s legal definitions. |
Organization | An organized group of one or more people with a particular purpose. |
Role | People have roles in Organizations for specific periods of time. |
Resource | Anything could be a resource, depending on its context defined in metadata. |
Event | People and Organizations have events with each other and with resources on or over specific periods of Time. |
Relationship | Organizations, Resources, and Events all can have standard association types |
Identity | The unique fact of being who or what a person or thing is |
Digital Identity | A unique fact of being who or what a person is IN the digital world. It may be connected to a real world Identity (thus being a digital twin) or may not (alias/persona) |
Digital Identifier | Unique information used to identify people, organizations, or things within a context. For example: SSN, e-mail, SASID, LASID. A digital identity can have more than one digital identifier. |
PII | Personally Identifiable Information is any item, collection, or grouping of information about an individual that is maintained by an organization, including identifying information, education, financial transactions, medical history, Social Security Numbers, and criminal or employment history. |
Personal Information | PII, demographics, and linked event information. Some information becomes personal in context (such as small group size aggregates). |
Learner Information | Information about a learner. |
Privacy Rights | Rights of a person to control access to and use of their personal information. More formal definition: “the right of a person to be free from intrusion into or publicity concerning matters of a personal nature” |
Authentication | Actions and mechanisms that can authenticate the identity of a person that includes information about an authentication provider, the login identifier used to authenticate a person's identity, and other information related to authentication of a person’s identity. |
Authorization | The authority to access to data or services to authorized entities. |
Access Control | The protocols in a system that limit access to data or services to authorized entities. Information about a data system or application that an authenticated person or system may access |
Self-sovereign identity | An identity system architecture based on the core principle that Identity Owners have the right to permanently control one or more Identifiers together with the usage of the associated Identity Data |
Information Security | Systems of controls designed to enforce privacy access controls and operational continuity. |
Data Stewardship/Processor | Responsibility to have proper security for privacy access controls. |
Trust | A person or systems ability to rely on something from another. Fiduciary trust can be delegated from one entity to another. |
Competency Definition | An information resource that includes a statement that describes a capability or behavior that a person may learn or be able to do within a given situation and environment along with definitions of the potential levels of mastery and metadata related to that statement |
Competency Assertion | Event data that includes an Assertion by an Issuer about a Person regarding their competency as of a certain date. |
Credential Definition | An information Resource that defines a competency or qualification, achievement, personal or organizational quality, experience, attribute, or aspect of an identity typically used to indicate suitability |
Credential Award | Event data that includes an Assertion by an Agent/Issuer that documents a Person or Organization’s qualification, achievement, personal or organizational quality, experience, attribute, or aspect of an identity as of a certain date or date range. |
Hyperledger Glossary for marketing
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