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Why do we still have to prove things over and over again?

1 points by DOM0711 ↗ HN
We’ve been thinking a lot about how often people need to prove things like degrees, certifications, or employment history and how weirdly manual that still is. Sending scans, PDFs, asking universities or HR to confirm stuff... it’s slow, messy, and prone to being faked.

What if there was a way to just receive official documents (like diplomas or work confirmations) in a format that’s verifiable forever not because someone signed a PDF, but because the issuing organization itself registered it in a tamper-proof system?

Something closer to a credentialing layer for the internet. You don’t need to “sign” anything, the document proves itself. And the user stays in control and decides who gets to see what.

It got us wondering:

Where do you personally encounter the most friction when proving credentials or background?

Would you feel more or less comfortable using something like this, where the source institution backs the authenticity directly?

What would be your biggest concern with something like this becoming common?

We’re trying to understand what a world with issuer-verified documents might look like and whether people actually want that. Curious to hear what others think.

2 comments

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soloFU
> Where do you personally encounter the most friction when proving credentials or background?

Usually about the time they ask for the credentials I never had.

bic_marz
I really like this concept, especially the idea of credentials proving themselves without needing constant re-verification. Personally, the biggest friction I've faced is repeatedly proving my educational background to employers. Every new job application feels like a Groundhog Day of document exchanges. So I'd obviously feel more comfortable if my university or past employers directly backed the authenticity of my credentials. It sounds secure and convenient, though I wonder how easily organizations would adopt such a system.

My main concern would be around how well this protects my privacy. Can I control exactly who sees what, and can access be revoked once granted?

Super interested to see how this develops!