Doc Searls quotes his wife’s inspirational, 7 year old, unfulfilled wish list of browser features.
“Another was a pull-down menu called “purse” that would contain credit cards and other identity items required for doing business in the world. Neither would be owned or provided by one vendor (not even the browser’s). Instead they would be features of the user’s own identity as an autonomous customer in the marketplace. “
The Doc Searls Weblog : Wednesday, January 8, 2003
There have been many attempts to create digital wallets from SET or Obongo (purchased by AOL for their aborted Magic Carpet) to Hailstorm.
Just as weblogs have proven the power of decentralized, personally controlled publishing this model extends to the entire realm of digital identities which may only be successful if they are similarly decentralized and user controlled.