by hagyma on 8/1/11, 2:31 PM with 26 comments
by latitude on 8/1/11, 3:29 PM
I tried this idea in application to the graphic design area specifically targeting logo and brand designers [0]. It was called CertTime and it failed spectacularly. It was pretty much like selling insurance to the ignorant.
The actual idea got substantial support of the Logopond community when I first described it [1]. I also solved the usability and trust issue by outsourcing time stamping and actual signing to VeriSign. The service took the client's file, made a self-extracting archive out of it and then signed the exe with Microsoft's AuthentiCode [2]. Checking the time stamp was as easy as right-clicking on the .exe and checking the Digital Signature tab. I think this idea was a stroke of genius... but in the end it did not matter.
I got ZERO traction. In retrospect I should've paid closer attention to the lack of interest I got on Typophile [3][4], where the community is more mature and less excitable than on Logopond.
That said, there is a number of companies that offer similar service - Surety, GuardTime, Recomobo, Digistamp, MyOws, etc. Some are based around a technical solution [5] while most are based around "we are lawyers, we swear it was done on Jan 1, 1913, and you must trust us" kind of approach. MyOws would be the most active in consumer segment, and they have accumulated their current user base through iPad giveaways and what not.
Finally, I want to say - good luck, guys, hope you can pull it off. There is a need for a very simple digital notary service, but it comes with the need to educate your target audience. I was not up for that, but perhaps you are.
[0] http://swapped.cc/certtime and http://certtime.com
[1] http://pondpad.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=3578
[2] http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms537361(v=vs.85).as...
[3] http://typophile.com/node/62669
[4] http://typophile.com/node/63838
[5] http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc3161.txt
(edit) Oh, by the way. Regarding the "what is it in you" point. My idea was to establish a sizable userbase of people routinely using the service (in part by integrating with various graphic design galleries and portfolios around the web), use that to demonstrate the consumer-level need for trusted timestamping to VeriSign and other companies and then try and sell the company to them. See, they are in a situation when a lot of money and effort is spent on deploying and running timestamping infrastructure (for example to support codesigning), but they have no way of charging for its services directly. If one can prepare and proof a paid market for them, they could not not be interested.
Trying to charge people directly for this sort of service is unrealistic at best.
(edit) Dug up the Q&A, which took me several weeks to put together - http://swapped.cc/certtime/faq.png - it has some lesser obvious points to consider and mull over.
by morisy on 8/1/11, 3:30 PM
Unfortunately that, and likely this, will provide little legal protection:
http://spectrum.ieee.org/at-work/innovation/the-poor-mans-pa...
Bragging rights, however, are now yours for posterity, which might have its own value to many - just don't think this will help you out in court, particularly without third-party auditing (not that that would help much, either).
by giberson on 8/1/11, 3:22 PM
Perhaps I'm being overly skeptical, but I thought I'd share my thoughts so that you might be aware of them, and figure out a way to address them to alleviate some paranoia of your potential customers.
by beagledude on 8/1/11, 3:21 PM
by nck4222 on 8/1/11, 3:05 PM
From what I can tell, you enter in your idea, and it basically timestamps it for you. Then if someone else makes it big with the same idea, you can say "Hey I thought of that first."
You seem to be saying that the website will help prevent the idea from "getting out" before I can implement it. But I don't see how entering my idea to a website will stop other people from finding out about it or independently thinking it.
I'm confused, and could use some more explaining about what this is and why I need it.
by gkop on 8/1/11, 3:33 PM
by omh on 8/1/11, 3:03 PM
by daok on 8/1/11, 3:15 PM
by derrida on 8/1/11, 3:50 PM
by rsanheim on 8/1/11, 3:28 PM
