Something interesting is happening in the world of online identities. The end goal is clear – a distributed, decentralized identity system where people have control over their own identity online – a people’s ‘Passport’ or what Marc Canter envisages as a people’s DNS. The problem is how to get there. Perhaps it will happen, in part, from the ground up through small steps such as personal data in systems such as Technorati or one line bio’s as personal RSS headlines? In fact, in true Dave Sifry style, Technorati seems to already be moving along these lines: see Technorati Profiles and check out the picture.
Over the longer term, this is perhaps as ground breaking as what weblogs have done for web publishing and ultimately will leverage the weblog model to its full potential by creating a parry to content through people’s interests and requirements, creating a marketplace for RSS.