Systems of Magic, and a request

[rising_moon]

Recently I've read a few excellent fantasy novels which were written around believable, consistent, and reasonable systems of magic. Believable magic is one of the elements that will sell me on a writer. I've enjoyed The Abhorsen Trilogy, by Garth Nix, and, most recently, The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss.

I've learned that Brandon Sanderson, who wrote this essay on systems of magic, is going to finish Robert Jordan's 12th and final novel of the Wheel of Time series. Depending on my Lady's response to his work, I might take up the first one. :)

Unrelatedly (maybe): can any of you recommend a good history (articles, blogs, anything) of technical approaches to affixing Identity? That is, assuring that individuals are who they say they are? I'm making a study of transaction psychology -- financial services inclined but not fixed -- and would love some background data on approaches to identity assurance. Thanks!

Comments

[rising-moon.livejournal.com]

Hey, cool! I mean, ghastly but cool. I wondered who would start using that type of ID first.

I don't want a chip, myself, for any reason, but the subject been my standing joke for years: "Wait 'til we all have chips in our heads." I suppose we've arrived.

Where does the chip go? The wrist?

[goldsquare.livejournal.com]

The wrist end of the forearm. Easy to wave over a scanner, but not interfering with all them little bones. :-)

[rising-moon.livejournal.com]

Eeuch. Well, I suppose we were getting there with the rise in sub-cute bodymod. :)

[goldsquare.livejournal.com]

What bugs me about it, is the lack of controls. Now, any place these people go, they can be traced whether they will it or not. Provided only that the people who have the mapping from RFID to person, share it.

Like they won't....

Part of privacy is the ability to stop asserting your identity, or even obscure it. These kids lost it forever.

[rising-moon.livejournal.com]

Part of privacy is the ability to stop asserting your identity, or even obscure it. These kids lost it forever.

This is exactly the thought that sparked my pursuit of Identity Assurance methodologies in the first place. Whither personal data?

[goldsquare.livejournal.com]

If I can recommend - although it is old, consider "Database Nation", as well as looking at the European Union's data privacy regulations and rules.

In America, we are the Wild Wild West. We have limited rights to our data, and no real rights to correction, amplification, modification or destruction. HIPAA isn't doing much, and the old Consumer Credit laws are showing lots of age. The various incarnations of Patriot Act style laws have not helped, and the simple fact that the Bush Administration wouldn't observe those is also concerning.