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Ask HN: Why is company letterhead a valid form of auth in 2022?

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Re: Ask HN: Why is company letterhead a valid form of auth in 2022?

#21

Post by [deleted] »

janosdebugs wrote: post #19
drstewart wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you share what a forward thinking European company would do, since Europe is so futuristic, and provide a specific example of a futuristic European social media tech company implementing this futuristic policy?

Depending on the country, sign with a government-issued digital signature, or get a notarized signature and mail it, if strong authentication is desired. The company registries of most countries are available online, which would identify the CEO(s).

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: Why is company letterhead a valid form of auth in 2022?

#22

Post by olddustytrail »

refurb wrote: post #20

What do you propose they ask for instead? Plenty of "open source projects" are nothing more than some informal group working together. It's not like they are registered with the government.

A TXT record added to the domain seems like an obvious solution, especially for a tech company.

Re: Ask HN: Why is company letterhead a valid form of auth in 2022?

#25

Post by dazc »

TheCapeGreek wrote: post #5
dazc wrote: post #3

Same way a passport is, I guess? 99% of organisations that ask for a passport image have no way of knowing whether it is fake or not, a letterhead is slightly easier to mock up though.

Passports have verifiable codes on them. Letterheads can be copied like word docs. Granted that's not to say people will actually verify passports using the data, but it is there compared to a letterhead being effectively just a random doc template.

I'm in the UK. If you give me a passport as ID I have no way of knowing if it is genuine. If you present a company letterhead I can, at least, check the company exists, verify your name is the same as a registered director and also see some basic financial history.

Re: Ask HN: Why is company letterhead a valid form of auth in 2022?

#26

Post by Test0129 »

CRConrad wrote: post #14

Quoted post unavailable.

The shot across the bow at the US is kind of old and tired at this point. I'm pretty sure Europeans still use corporate letterhead as a type of legal guarantee.

It would be pretty cool if you could make your point without blaming an entire country for being luddites though. There's plenty of "cutting edge" "future thinking" companies in the US. Sometimes, old tech is the best tech especially when paper tends to last a lot longer than even governments.

Re: Ask HN: Why is company letterhead a valid form of auth in 2022?

#27

Post by refurb »

olddustytrail wrote: post #22
refurb wrote: post #20

What do you propose they ask for instead? Plenty of "open source projects" are nothing more than some informal group working together. It's not like they are registered with the government.

A TXT record added to the domain seems like an obvious solution, especially for a tech company.

That's a reasonably "secure" identifier, but I suppose not everyone does it. So Twitter is a bit stuck trying to come up with "something", even if it's easily faked.

Re: Ask HN: Why is company letterhead a valid form of auth in 2022?

#28

Post by cm42 »

drstewart wrote: post #16
CRConrad wrote: post #14

Quoted post unavailable.

Can you share what a forward thinking European company would do, since Europe is so futuristic, and provide a specific example of a futuristic European social media tech company implementing this futuristic policy?

Instead of a corporate letterhead, they require the wax seal of the eldest son of the Family von Baron MCMLXIV, Viscount of Parcelforce, Duke Du Jour, and Most Charitable and Venerated Grand Master of Her Majesty's Royal Letter-Stampers (or his designated representative), which is then simply cross-checked against Burke's for validity.

Time-tested and infallible - even more-so than the Pope, if it can be believed.

Re: Ask HN: Why is company letterhead a valid form of auth in 2022?

#29

Post by freedude »

A better question might be why is a company considered a legal entity or even a technical entity? It has been said that they shouldn't be and that legality should rest with the individual companies' owner. This of course would end corporations and much of the crap they produce and force owners to be accountable to their word. Yes, a novel concept.

But don't take my word for it. Read what Adam Smith had to say about it first in the Wealth of Nations. https://www.ibiblio.org/ml/libri/s/SmithA_WealthNations_p.pd...

Re: Ask HN: Why is company letterhead a valid form of auth in 2022?

#30

Post by nyokodo »

dazc wrote: post #25
TheCapeGreek wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Passports have verifiable codes on them. Letterheads can be copied like word docs. Granted that's not to say people will actually verify passports using the data, but it is there compared to a letterhead being effectively just a random doc template.

I'm in the UK. If you give me a passport as ID I have no way of knowing if it is genuine. If you present a company letterhead I can, at least, check the company exists, verify your name is the same as a registered director and also see some basic financial history.

You can do all of that by just being told the company name, address etc. Why does it have to come in the form of stationery?
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