In conversation at: https://github.com/lexicon-community/lexicon/pull/16
> > Speaking of prior art. W3C is working on a standard that probably should be considered in this design.
> > ...
>
> @tqwhite Yeah, I think they do different things, however.
>
> The intention here is to allow DIDs (users and organizations) a way to provide small proofs to other records. Those proofs can be part of a larger structure, but they can also be adhoc.
I have since been studying. It is doing much the same thing as this except not of "small proofs". It specifies a data model to support college diplomas and transcripts, professional certifications, job and employment records and pretty much any other fact about a person that anyone would care about having access to in a verifiable way.
Your data model is less comprehensive but has the advantage of being specified in Lexicon and therefore attached to AT Proto. The W3C Verified Credential does not have any connection to the rest of an ecosystem. Further reading has told me that everyone considers it to be part of a W3C Distributed Identity. Unlike this effort, that is not explicit nor is there any standard access protocol suggested. It is written so that any HR or school information system can have a schema that *could* be exported in a verifiable way.
If I were king of the world and had found out about the Attestation Lexicon earlier, I would have really pushed to have it based on the Verifiable Credential. That would support the "small proofs" goal (although it might turn out to be too complex for this use case) and make a huge contribution to the larger effort that motivates the W3C effort. (Obviously it's too late for that and I mean no disrespect.)
Imagine, this though. Today, to get proof of a college degree, one has to contact the institution and, often still, wait for them to dig into their records, print out a diploma and mail it to you. With an ATP Verified Credential, the alternative could be that, upon graduation the institution emails a verified credential that you load into your Personal Data Store. When you apply for a job, you give them the URL of the diploma in your PDS.
Anyway, sorry to stick my nose in and also to be so longwinded. I am deeply inspired by your work.