[WEB4LIB] Related question about OpenURL resolvers

[Eric Hellman]

OpenURL resolvers can be used to localize links for institutions and 
thus can be used to provide links authenticated using techniques 
which rely on security-by-obscurity. In the design of an OpenURL 
resolver system, there are a number of ways to integrate 
authentication with link-localization; the choice made by the 
designer has implications on the security policies that must be used 
for the link-server.

In addition to authentication issues, there are non-disclosure issues 
with some publishers which may or may not be spurious depending on 
how much you pay your lawyer. As usual, technology races ahead of the 
law.

In our system, we have made certain design choices that allow us to 
be relatively free with baseURL's, however there are tradeoffs, and I 
wouldn't say that designers who have chosen differently are wrong to 
have done so.

Eric

At 8:43 AM -0800 1/22/03, Thomas Dowling wrote:
>Just out of curiosity, why do so many sites that have OpenURL resolvers
>(including but not limited to SFX) treat the location of their resolver's
>base URL like a state secret?
>
>
>Thomas Dowling
>OhioLINK - Ohio Library and Information Network
>tdowling at ohiolink.edu


-- 

Eric Hellman, President                            Openly Informatics, Inc.
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