This article about LinkedIn a social software networking system being designed and trialed by Reid Hoffman, indicates both what might be important about such software, and also illustrates why digital identity is critical in making this type of software useful.
I have followed this arena for a while now, and am always amazed that those who are innovating in this realm don't see the central nature of identity to what they are doing. That can be blamed on many things, from political outlook to what their background in computing is, but it is always stunning to me. This type of software, even more than most, cannot begin to deliver without strong identity-centric design.
It must "know" who belongs, where they fit in the social structure being virtualized, how to protect access to their information and their time and in general how to treat them and their information. Only digital identity techniques will allow that to happen smoothly.
One more example of why "Identity is Center".
Posted by pbecker at June 5, 2003 01:50 PM