So, a while ago (like three months ago), I got an email from Joe to beta TrustFabric.

It looked a little like this:

from TrustFabric
to rodent@rodent.za.net
date Tue, Oct 19, 2010 at 10:12 PM
subject TrustFabric Alpha Invite
mailed-by li41-197.members.linode.com
hide details Oct 19
Hi,

Joe Botha has invited you to join TrustFabric.

To join the TrustFabric Alpha service please follow this link:
http://www.trustfabric.com/?invite_code=….

If you like TrustFabric feel free to invite your friends via the Invite page.

Please keep up with TrustFabric news:
Blog: http://www.trustfabric.org/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TrustFabric

————–

Welcome to a new way of thinking about personal information management.

TrustFabric simplifies the admin in your life. It’s a safe and easy way to
selectively share the personal information you are required to share.

During the sign up process you’ll be asked to chose a TrustFabric
Identifier (TFID). Once you’re signed up you can create documents,
establish relationships and control who you share your information with.

We’d like to hear your feedback on:
* Usability
* Features you’d like to see

Please note:
This is an Alpha version, it can break or go down. We’re aiming to add
features every month from now on, so it will probably be down for upgrades.

Have fun.

Regards
The TrustFabric Team

The conundrum, or my memory fails

Today, I was trawling my (mostly unread) personal mailbox and came across the invites, and thought: “Hey, let me try this TrustFabric thing” — Joe’s been blogging about it a lot!

So, I cannot recall whether I actually clicked on the link or not (my longterm memory is handled by my mail client and browser password agent).

But the invite link is now dead, it just takes me nowhere. And when trying to login with my usual credentials, I get a simple “Login Failed”, with a faint reference to retrieve my password.

And I can’t recall whether I gave TF my details or not, or actually registered. (Typical user conundrum).

The invite link (http://www.trustfabric.com/?invite_code=xxxx) just displays the usual site without any additional information like “This invite has already been used”, or anything useful. In fact it appears to be a bog standard redirect to the main page.

So, I tried “password retrieval”. When prompted for my TFID I just hit my email address, which apparently doesn’t work. And my cellphone number either.

So, here’s my conundrum. Am I registered ? If at least the invite link told me that I’d already used it, I’d have been reasonably sure. Right now I don’t whether I registered or not. I also don’t know where to go from here, or contact to do anything. I’m lost. I got an invite. But it’s either invalid, or expired, or I never used. I also dunno how to fix this…

Either way, I have no idea of finding out what my TrustFabric status is.

Note to web 2.0 people — If you send out a link, that may persist in an email for years, or months best you make sure that it continues working or displays something useful. An HTTP link with query string arguments is a CONTRACT. Dont’ BREAK IT.

Joe. Whip.them.programmers.some.more….

And HALP!

Update

Apparently my invite was used, and my TFID is NOT my email addy but my Nick. Thanks for the help Joe!