>>Drummond wrote:
>>Like you, I too look forward to what we can do together - quickly.. I
>>suggest ASN supporters adopt the IETF motto, "Rough consensus and
>>running code".
>>
>Bruce replied:
>So -- asking what is, or ought to be, a very obvious question -- IF we
>followed this motto -- and got code running to do something, WHAT would
>that something be? I'd like to see that answered in a couple of
sentences,
>one short paragraph, in simple language. Put another way -- what are
we
>trying to do? What do you think, Drummond, that we are trying to do? (01)
The ASN paper does a pretty good job of describing it, Bruce, but since
it's helpful to align all of our visions about what this really means,
here's how I'd answer your question. (02)
What we are trying to do, Bruce, is create a "common identity
infrastructure" - the third major layer in the evolution of the net. The
first layer - the Internet itself - is a "common networking
infrastructure", a way of linking any two devices on any two networks so
that they could exchange packets with each other. The second layer - the
Web - is a "common document infrastructure", a way of linking any two
documents on any two websites so they can exchange pointers with each
other. (03)
The third layer is not about machines and packets or documents and
websites but people and organizations. That's why it fits so neatly
under the rubric of "social protocols". A common identity infrastructure
is a way of linking any two people or organizations in any two
communities so they can share data with each other. (04)
So if what was needed for the first layer was common protocols for
packet exchange and a network of gateways and routers that implemented
them, and what was needed for the second layer was common protocols for
network hypertext and a network of web servers and web browsers that
implemented them, then what is needed for the third layer is common
protocols for data sharing and a network of data sharing servers and
clients that implement them. (05)
That's what XRI and XDI are all about. Thus, from my perspective, what
is needed to deliver the ASN is a network of XDI servers and clients and
that start linking up with XDI data sharing contracts. The result will
be a web of identities and relationships similar to today's Web of
documents and hyperlinks. (06)
I should add one other thing, which is governance. At each layer, as
Owen Davis points out in his thread, there is a need for at least some
minimal form of governance for the "commons". Since the first layer was
almost purely technical, the IETF supplied the governance of the
"network commons". For the second layer, the W3C and ICANN (two more
self-organized entities) have provided the governance of the "document
commons". (07)
Now we are facing the question of who will supply the governance for the
third layer. In terms of the technical protocols, that's why XNSORG was
created . But as Owen points out, once you move to the level of social
protocols, you need some minimal form of governance of the "identity
commons" - the social and business agreements that govern data sharing
using the technical protocols. That's why Identity Commons was created. (08)
(BTW, it's fascinating to me that the creators of XNSORG and the
creators of Identity Commons started completely independently and did
not meet each other until well after their respective efforts were
launched. To me its proof of the real social and market needs that both
organizations were created to help fill.) (09)
=Drummond (010)
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