[iDC] Facebook Connect

[crocodyl at corpwatch.org]

Hello all,

First time poster, but have been reading for a few months now.

In response to the Facebook article, I would like to direct people to a
project that has been in the works for quite some time now called
OpenID.  OpenID is where Facebook Connect got their idea from, and is an
open standard authentication system that people can use to login to
third party web applications.  It negates the need to register with
every single site you use, and centrally stores any identifying
information you wish to share with the websites you use.

http://www.openid.net

This is different than Facebook Connect (or other similar services) in
that it is not owned by a single corporation, but is an open and free
standard based on agreements between multiple nonprofit, for-profit,
community and government organizations.

Why this is important:  Facebook reserves the right to assert control
over the use of its service, while OpenID and all contributing party's
have waived that right by signing a "Non-Assertion Covenant."

Why Non-Assertion is good:  Waiving the right to assert complete control
over a service means that it will remain democratically accessible to
everyone.  If one entity is able to act as a gatekeeper (see the US
broadcast Media for examples of why this is bad) this generally tends to
serve the needs of only that gatekeeper, instead of the wider society.

Thanks for listening to my screed about open standards.  And thanks for
helping to keep the Internet an open and democratic medium.

Ian Elwood
Corporate Wiki Project Manager
CorpWatch
1611 Telegraph Ave, Suite 720
Oakland, CA 94612
tel: 510-271-8080
cell: 415-994-6877
email: ian at corpwatch.org
www.corpwatch.org

Check out our corporate malfeasance Wiki!
www.crocodyl.org

Paul B. Hartzog wrote:
> Despite my published debate with Trebor on re-public.com,
> I don't post to this list as much as I would like,
> but I read it all :-)
> 
> would love to hear the responses to this:
> 
> http://blogs.forrester.com/charleneli/2008/05/facebook-connec.html
> 
> -p
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------
> http://www.PaulBHartzog.org
> http://www.panarchy.com
> PaulBHartzog at PaulBHartzog.org
> PaulBHartzog at panarchy.com
> PHartzog at umich.edu
> --------------------------------------------------------
> The Universe is made up of stories, not atoms.
>  --Muriel Rukeyser
> 
> See differently, then you will act differently.
>  --Paul B. Hartzog
> --------------------------------------------------------
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