> Why JSON?
> JSON is nicely extensible and widely used. In particular it’s easy to synthesize and process with numerous programming languages. It’s particularly popular in the web communities, which hopefully should make it easy to link user credential data from the web and from local systems more closely together.
Was this written by a CSI or NCIS screenwriter?
Is a closer coupling between ‘the Web’ and local systems (especially concerning login and personal id) really what anyone needs?
I don’t even think it’s what anyone really wants, but sure, let’s find a way to make some random server located somewhere run by some SaaS be responsible for negotiating rights to access our own hardware.
It may not be the only way to access things, and I don't think the systemd maintainers will argue with you over the importance of single-box authentication robustness, only that compatibility is worthwhile and among the arbitrary formats there is a clear winner.
Why would anyone want to do such a thing? This sounds like an anti-feature (non-goal?) to me.