Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
Conclusion
The boundary between physical identity
and network identity always introduces
the possibility for confusion and miscom-
munication. No system for moving infor-
mation across that boundary is foolproof.
Establishing identity, capability, and
activity are all complex tasks, so the more
human input you can incorporate into the
situation, the better your results will be.
Security is essential when you're transmitting identify-
ing characteristics because it maintains the trust of the
people using what you make and keeps them safe. Once
you're connected to the Internet, nothing's truly private
and nothing's truly closed, so learning to work with the
openness makes your life easier. In the end, keep in mind
that clear, simple ways of marking identity are the most
effective, whether they're universal or not. Both beginners
and experienced network professionals often get caught
on this point, because they feel that identity has to be
absolute and clear to the whole world. Don't get caught up
in how comprehensively you can identify things at first. It
doesn't matter if you can identify someone or something
to the whole world—it only matters that you can identify
them for your own purposes. Once that's established,
you've got a foundation on which to build.
When you start to develop projects that use location
systems, you usually find that less is more. It's not unusual
to start a project thinking you need to know position,
distance, and orientation, then pare away systems as you
develop the project. The physical limitations of the things
you build and the spaces you build them in will solve many
problems for you.
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