[discuss] should we switch to requiring container-write instead of resource-write permissions for delete?

[michielbdejong]

This spec clearly states that it requires acl:Write on the resource, but in nodeSolidServer/node-solid-server#729 NSS diverged from the spec.

In nodeSolidServer/node-solid-server#729 (comment) @dmitrizagidulin correctly remarked that this should be made into a spec-level discussion, but it seem that his remark was ignored?

So let's have the discussion now!

Pro change:

• NSS implementers have already diverged from the spec at this point, and even though they didn't follow process, it would be practical to retro-actively agree with them
• It aligns WAC more with how the Linux file system works

Con change:

• All changes cost work, and this one is no exception
• even though NSS may have made this change, inrupt/pod-server has not, so for the current implementations it's 1 against 1. @acoburn what does your Trellis extension for WAC do on this topic?
• As remarked in Deleting a file should require write permission on the container nodeSolidServer/node-solid-server#729 (comment), and I agree, the current spec makes more sense.
• It's weird if DELETE requires different permissions than PUT
• If we do want to separate the two, it would make more sense to split acl:Write into acl:Create, acl:Update, and acl:Delete.
• Now that I write this, I realize that the distinction is not just update/delete, it's create/update/delete, which makes it.

[RubenVerborgh]

General note regarding changes:
let us not be influenced too much by what exists. Many things were fast/pragmatic choices, many of which were never discussed or thought through. We still have the luxury of changing things at this point; that luxury will likely have disappeared within a year.

[RubenVerborgh]

• As remarked in solid/node-solid-server#729 (comment), and I agree, the current spec makes more sense.

No cherry-picking please 😛

nodeSolidServer/node-solid-server#729 (comment) follows up

[michielbdejong]

I have implemented the current spec in pod-server, which means acl:Write on the resource for create, update, as well as delete. So if in this issue we decide to change the spec, that will mean NSS becomes compliant, but pod-server will stop being compliant.

[csarven]

Closing this issue as consensus is deemed to be captured in WAC Editor's Draft: https://solid.github.io/web-access-control-spec/ . See #authorization-evaluation #reading-writing-resources #access-mode-extensions . See also #85