Horizon2007:Shortlist 3d
From Horizon Project
Time-to-Adoption: Four to Five Years
Internet-Wide User-Centric Identity Systems
A user-centric identity system is, in the simplest terms, a way of creating a single digital identity that can be used in any place where a log-in is needed. At the same time, it is not perceived simply as a technology; it is also characterized as being about relationships and services. A variety of different systems are being developed, and though they have the same broad purpose of creating a sign-on system that is convenient and secure for an individual rather than a company or organization, ideas about what precisely defines a user-centric identity system and how that would be implemented are still widely varied.
Internet-wide user-centric identity systems are still their infancy, but the ideas behind them are clearly gaining momentum. Several different approaches to such identity systems have already been developed. These early efforts are all essentially still prototypes rather than systems which could be widely used, but the potential for systems is such that Google has gotten involved with its own system, GoogleAuth, which will likely generate interest people outside the field of computer security. While identity systems focus on people as consumers rather than as learners or teachers, a widely distributed identity system could have interesting academic applications, especially insofar as information is a retrievable product.
Relevance for Teaching, Learning & Creative Expression
It is still too early to articulate real examples for teaching and learning, but some hypothetical situations can be postulated:
- The login once, access anywhere nature would allow students to borrow resources directly from other libraries, rather than going through interlibrary loan.
- Subscriptions to online journals would be managed and access would be seamless, without needing a login each time.
Examples
- Sxip (pronounced \skip\) Identity is developing identity systems: http://www.sxip.com
- OpenID is an open framework for user-centric digital identity: http://openid.net
- GoogleAuth is Google’s system under development: http://code.google.com/apis/accounts/AuthForWebApps.html
For Further Reading
Before we can have user-centric identity in the enterprise... (Nishant Kaushik, July 1, 2006). This blog entry discusses issues that might need to be resolved before reaching a consensus on what user-centric identity is. http://blogs.oracle.com/identitycorner/2006/07/17
The Laws of Identity (Kim Cameron, May 2005). This paper discusses the technical and social issues that accompany the development of a user-centric system, as well as giving examples of what happens when the laws are broken. http://www.identityblog.com/?page_id=352
SocialPhysics.org (Retrieved November 14, 2006). The goal of SocialPhysics is to give people more control over their digital identities: their online identities, personal information and social relationships. http://socialphysics.org/
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Discussion
Add your thoughts, suggestions, examples to add here, and indicate who wrote it-- e.g. [Alan]
