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.
(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.
Thanks for describing your experience. This site really was some kind of a hackathlon for us. Not to mention the need for it.
Sometimes I was in the need to secure a document, sealed at a lawyer. My clients wanted to be sure that the information won't change in case we have to say good bye. :)
Anyway... This is our very first public product made for anyone. I hope you guys like the idea. We can take it to any level if needed. :)
With all due respect - your service as it exists is completely useless. You either need to be prepared to go to the court to testify for other people or you need to provide reliable, court-tested technical solution for trusted time-stamping.
Basically consider this - if the push comes to shove and someone is getting served C&D letter or worse yet getting sued over their idea, how exactly does your service help them? Or even how would you use in such situation, since you said you built it around your personal need?
Comments
Oh, hai.
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.
Thanks for describing your experience. This site really was some kind of a hackathlon for us. Not to mention the need for it.
Sometimes I was in the need to secure a document, sealed at a lawyer. My clients wanted to be sure that the information won't change in case we have to say good bye. :)
Anyway... This is our very first public product made for anyone. I hope you guys like the idea. We can take it to any level if needed. :)
With all due respect - your service as it exists is completely useless. You either need to be prepared to go to the court to testify for other people or you need to provide reliable, court-tested technical solution for trusted time-stamping.
Basically consider this - if the push comes to shove and someone is getting served C&D letter or worse yet getting sued over their idea, how exactly does your service help them? Or even how would you use in such situation, since you said you built it around your personal need?
Oooooo... that's way too serious. I will be more than happy if I can just show you as goodfellas what have i thought of a little earlier.
And again... this is a concept, that maybe useless, but it was a lof of fun to create and learn from comments it receives.