All content copyright ©
2005-2010 Glynx Pty Ltd
Glynx is a social networking tool for people who are concerned about control of their online identities and those of others.
Glynx puts you in control of the identity information you have about others and others have about you. Glynx provides you with the ability to use this information in new and valuable ways. You can think of Glynx as providing an identity overlay on the things you do on the phone or online. It works independently of client-server networks such as the web, email and telephone environments but provides a rich identity context to complement those experiences.
Glynx is implemented as software you run on your PC (and in the future we expect mobile devices too), together with some web services which allow you to certify your identities and verify the identities of others.
Glynx can be considered as an Identity 2.0 based business. For a neat introduction to Identity 2.0 see Dick Hardt’s presentation http://www.identity20.com/media/OSCON2005/
We also aim to comply with the seven laws of identity, as defined by Kim Cameron at http://www.identityblog.com/?page_id=354.
The Glynx architecture is designed to provide you with freedom of identity comprising the following 4 freedoms.
The Freedoms are especially aimed at protecting the interests of claiming Entities regardless of the interests of networks and hosted directory intermediaries.
Glynx is architected around 3 basic concepts:
These enable trust between users and deliver the 4 freedoms.
Absolutely not! In fact we don’t even keep track of what your identity is or how you use it.
Because Glynx works peer-to-peer it can be trusted. This is very important in several respects.
Blackpages is at the heart of the Glynx network. By Blackpages we mean a new type of directory for the Identity 2.0 universe. We mean a directory in the technical directory taxonomy sense, along with White, Yellow and Green Page Directories. We do not mean a White Page directory associated with Black things.
A Blackpage directory is searchable but not browsable. It contains cryptographically encoded IDs and an associated internet address to which queries and requests for that ID may be directed. These listings may optionally also contain a certificate indicating a level of trust in the publisher of the digested identity entry. Entities may enquire in the directory for information about a specific entry if they have a unique piece of information (such as a mobile phone number) associated with a specific entry and then request further information (such as rich presence) from the address associated with the entry. Entities must present credentials to receive the further information and, based on the credentials the entity is assigned to an audience which determines the information they are entitled to receive.
Our implementation has several features which enables our directory to serve the interests of users rather than any other types of Entities (such as governments or particular networks).
Back in 2004 and 2005, Kin Cameron (with much help from the identity community and totally independently from us) identified seven 'laws' of identity. These laws are intended to be a guide for systems that seek to provide an identity layer for the internet. This is how Glynx implements the seven 'laws'.
Absolutely. With Glynx you can determine what information you wish share with a particular audience to associate with you. For example you may wish your family to have access to different contact information than an existing customer who may again be given different contact information for a new prospect.
Many parties have many reasons for not allowing you to express your identity as you would like. Many parties, particularly network and directory intermediaries, have the power to either directly prevent that expression or view your expression of identity and take actions in their interests but not necessarily in yours. Alternatively there are many instances where users do not wish to have their identity information published because it may be used in a way that is not in the interest of a user, for example it may be picked up by spamers. Glynx is designed to prevent these concerns directly affecting users of electronic networks. For example:
Glynx has been developed by private funding and we expect to profit from a range of optional paid-for services associated with the directory. We expect to open up a series of APIs over time covering interfaces with Identity 1.0 services (such as contact managers), communications products (such as VOIP providers), web browsers and Identity Providers. Through these APIs, we hope that we and others can provide a rich identity context to your online experience.
We have a range of IP, including patents granted and pending, that we expect to implement to take advantage of the combination of these interfaces.
The entity that controls Glynx, Xynk Pty. Ltd., has access to the patented and patent pending technologies that underly Glynx. Through its IP licenses it has the right to develop and use this technology to deliver benefits through Identity exchange.
Absolutely not! In fact we don’t even know what your Identity is or how you use it.
It depends on the version of Glynx. Currently, the PC product - Glynx Personal - including secure contact synchronisation, and the development of the core platform and Blackpages directory are all expected to remain free. Users will be be able to subscribe to higher-utility Glynx Professional and additional value added services for a fee.
Generally yes, because you get the greatest benefit from Glynx information exchanges in real-time. If you are not online, other users will not be able to receive any private ID information from you. However information sent to you while your are offline will be held on the Glynx store-and-forward server as is automatically retrieved when you are next online.
Remember, public identity information, stored in Blackpages, is available to everyone all the time.
| Country | International Dialling prefix |
|---|---|
| Australia | 61 |
| Australian External Territories | 672 |
| Austria | 43 |
| Belgium | 32 |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina | 387 |
| China | 86 |
| Croatia | 385 |
| Czech Republic | 420 |
| Denmark | 45 |
| Estonia | 372 |
| Finland | 358 |
| France | 33 |
| Germany | 49 |
| Gibraltar | 350 |
| Global Mobile Satellite System (GMSS) | 881 |
| Greece | 30 |
| Hong Kong | 852 |
| Hungary | 36 |
| Iceland | 354 |
| India | 91 |
| Indonesia | 62 |
| Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean - East) | 871 |
| Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean - West) | 874 |
| Inmarsat (Indian Ocean) | 873 |
| Inmarsat (Pacific Ocean) | 872 |
| Inmarsat SNAC | 870 |
| Ireland | 353 |
| Israel | 972 |
| Italy | 39 |
| Japan | 81 |
| Korea (South) | 82 |
| Latvia | 371 |
| Lebanon | 961 |
| Liechtenstein | 423 |
| Lithuania | 370 |
| Luxembourg | 352 |
| Macao | 853 |
| Macedonia (Former Yugoslav Rep of.) | 389 |
| Malaysia | 60 |
| Moldova | 373 |
| Monaco | 377 |
| Montenegro | 382 |
| Netherlands | 31 |
| New Zealand | 64 |
| North American Numbering Plan Area (24 countries incl US and Canada) | 1 |
| Norway | 47 |
| Pakistan | 92 |
| Palestinian Settlements | 970 |
| Papua New Guinea | 675 |
| Philippines | 63 |
| Poland | 48 |
| Portugal | 351 |
| Romania | 40 |
| Russian | 7 |
| Serbia | 381 |
| Singapore | 65 |
| Slovak Republic | 421 |
| Slovenia | 386 |
| South Africa | 27 |
| Spain | 34 |
| Sri Lanka | 94 |
| Sweden | 46 |
| Switzerland | 41 |
| Taiwan | 886 |
| Thailand | 66 |
| Tunisia | 216 |
| Turkey | 90 |
| Ukraine | 380 |
| United Kingdom | 44 |
| Universal Personal Telecommunications (UPT) | 878 |
| Vietnam | 84 |
Countries included in North American Numbering Plan Area
Import process appears to stall indefinitely with "reading contacts from Skype - Initializing" status.
The Glynx Link Contacts function requires that Skype be running before a Glynx user imports contacts from Skype. The Glynx user can confirm that Skype is running by clicking the key sequence <CTRL><ALT><DELETE> which opens the Windows Task Manager window. Within the Windows Task Manager window, the Glynx user then clicks the "Processes" tab and looks for the "Skype.exe" program. If Skype.exe is not found then the Glynx user should start Skype by accessing the Windows Start menu selecting Programs and then clicking on Skype. The Glynx user must exit Glynx by clicking the exit Glynx icon. Once Skype starts the Glynx user may
restart Glynx and Link Contacts.
If Skype is running and it is the first time that the Glynx user has requested to Link Contacts with a Skype source, the Glynx user will be prompted by the Skype pop-up window "Another program wants to use Skype. This is a security feature to ensure that only known programs access the Skype API. The Glynx user must select the Glynx.exe "Allow this program to use Skype" radio button and then click the "OK" button. The Glynx program has now been granted access to the Skype API.
Import process returns "Error Importing Contacts" pop-up window
Should the Glynx user inadvertently hit the wrong radio button when prompted to grant Skype API access to the Glynx program, the Glynx user must then start Skype by accessing the Windows Start menu selecting Programs and then clicking on Skype. The Skype user must then navigate to the "Tools" drop down menu, select and click "Options". From the Skype "Options" window the Skype user must navigate to "Advanced". In the right hand pane of the winow, the Skype user must then clck on "Manage other programs' access to Skype". When the "Skype - Manage API Access Control" window appears the Skype user must navigate to the Glynx program, single click and click the "Allow this program to use Skype" radio button and then click the "OK" button. The Skype user must then exit each window until they return to the "Skype - Options" window where they must click the "Save" button. The Glynx program has now been granted access to the Skype API.
Your Glynx data is located in the .glynx sub-folder of your home directory:
To backup your Glynx data, simply copy that folder to your backup drive. Please note that Glynx must not be running when you copy the folder, or else you will risk corrupting your database.
Using formal Glynx terminology, entities exchange identity information made up of personas. these exchanges can happen directly between peer nodes and no central server observes the exchanged information. Information is encrypted during transmission so that eavesdropping on information exchange is not very interesting. The Blackpages directory facilitates entity discovery and the trust regime in the identity exchange process.
Just to stress the point, there is no central Glynx server that holds the directory or through which unencrypted information travels. We cannot and do not wish to violate your freedom of identity.
An entity is a person (such as yourself) or an organisation (such as a company, government organization, informal association, club etc.) that wishes to exchange its ID information with other entities. In the online world, johndoe@mail.com and +61399999999 may be IDs of the Entity 'John Doe'.
A persona is a collection of ID claims about an entity that that entity wishes to provide to someone else. The claims in a persona may be unsigned or signed by the entity, a third party verifier, such as Glynx.
Entities may exchange more thanone persona with others. For example you may have a 'Business' persona with work details, a 'Friends and Family' persona with home details cards, and a "Tennis" persona with your mobile number. You may wish to exchange none, one or more of these with a contact - depending on your relationship.
Entities may choose to have their ID claims confirmed. Today only Glynx provides ID confirmation services for IDs used in Glynx. At the moment we can confirm mobile phone numbers, e-mail addresses and Skype IDs. To confirm an ID we send a unique password to that ID. We then ask that that password be associated in the Glynx software with that ID before we publish a Glynx certificate against that identity in Blackpages.
Confirming IDs enables users to know to a high degree of confidence that an identity in Blackpages represents the claiming Entity. In the future we expect to open up our API to allow other parties (such as peers and identity providers) to confirm identities.
Confirmation is the only time during the core Glynx process that Glynx is aware of the true identity of an entity. At all other times the Glynx software only deals with hashed identities so is not aware of the true identity of an Entity. Glynx does not keep records of the Entity once the confirmation process is complete.
Glynx runs as a complimentary privacy network 'overlaid' on the public internet. The primary Glynx operation is between peer nodes and so to take advantag of the Glynx system, no modification is required to existing web-sites or services. Such sites or services just need to be able to provide Glynx access to potential unique IDs such as phone numbers or web addresses. Glynx then uses its independent network to provide associated information such as rich presence, more detailed contact information and anything else the owner of that identity chooses to make available to that audience.
Because Glynx operates between peer nodes there are very few central services involved in the running of the Glynx network. The central services we run include the following:
We use a third party provider to send the SMS confirmation messages to mobile phones. This is one of the largest such providers in the world and they have distributed their infrastructure globally.
When you initiate an SMS confirmation, our provider distributes the workload across many servers (our experience indicates that they are using European servers) in different countries.
It has been our experience, for example, that confirmation messages destined for Vodafone subscribers come from Denmark while Optus and Virgin recipients receive their messages sent from the UK.
It has also been our experience that :
In general, despite the perceived reliability of SMS, there is still a 10-20% failure rate (though companies are unsurprisingly reticent about sharing this sort of information).
The SMS confirmation message should arrive within seconds of you clicking the necessary buttons in Glynx.
If they don’t arrive in that sort of time frame, just revoke the confirmation and try again. You will naturally only be able to use the most current token.
Peer-to-peer applications like Skype and Glynx listen to a unique port number. A port number is a nunber between 1 and 65535 which identifies to the receiving computer what service you want the computer to perform. By default, Glynx uses a static port number of 24250. Where many usersare using the same router the Glynx Team recommends each Glynx user select a unique Glynx port number.
To change the Glynx port number, start Glynx and from the Glynx dashboard left hand menu select the Preferences tool from the Settings group. The Glynx Preference window will then appear. Using the left hand menu, navigate to Network and single click. On the right hand pane, the Network preferences will appear. The "Glynx network port" entry box will display the value 24250. Click in the "Glynx network port" entry box and enter the port number you have selected (i.e. 24251). Navigate to the "OK" button and single click which will return you to the Glynx dashboard. The Glynx port number has now been changed.
All content copyright ©
2005-2010 Glynx Pty Ltd