[ExI] Verification

[David Lubkin]

I'm thinking through the mechanics of a web-based business I'm developing.
There are a few gotchas, one of which is within this list's core foci now and
across the past 20+ years, although I don't remember it ever being brought
up.

Since the current incarnation has public archives, you're more than welcome
to email me off-list, if you think your insights are better shared privately.

It's an instance of a general problem that I've already encountered more
than once, on each of the several sides, so I'll keep the description general.

S offers a business service. A signs up for the service in his capacity as
an elected or appointed officer of business or non-profit B. At a later date,
C contacts S and claims that A is no longer in that capacity, and that C
or D is now B's agent. Either A cannot be reached or he denies that he has
been replaced.

Sometimes A was removed from office, his term ended, he was fired,
he was transferred. Sometimes it is completely untrue, and C has
nefarious motives.

How does S confirm that A's security privileges should be removed or
lowered and that someone else's should be granted or raised?

The grim fact is that many "authoritative" sources aren't. I could probably
file documents claiming that I am the new CEO of the Extropy Institute
and that its mailing address is mine, and they'd be accepted at face
value by state and federal agencies. In many contexts, it's much easier
to sow trouble than to recover from it.

Conversely, a bank might claim that it is A who holds the bank account
not B, and will not do anything without A's consent.

The other obvious answers, e.g., if there's a new board, show me a
page on the group's web site, or contacting the group's legal counsel,
are better than nothing but also flawed.

Do you know of legal, procedural, or technical solutions that you think
adequately cope (from both S's and B's point of view) with the possibility
that either A or C is a bad actor?


-- David.