Out of the blue

In the last few days, an amazing number of people have written asking me to comment on LID. So the first thing I'll say is that I find it exciting to see a new identity technology proposal arriving – apparently – out of the blue.

I also need to make it clear that although I am working on the Laws of Identity, it is definitely not in the cards for me to play the role of “conformace czar” – issuing compliance stickers to the appropriate technologies. The Laws need to stand on their own.

This said, I will take up some of the ideas put forward by Johnannes Ernst, as he has asked me to do, once I've finished the seven Laws. I'll have two goals. The first will be to fully understand all aspects of LID (I will do the same for SXIP, I-Names, Shibboleth, and so on). My second goal will be ongoing clarification of the laws – without favoring one identity technology over any other.

I see my role being to help all identity providers and relying parties align with the laws, and help in the emergence of the “mega meta momma backplane” – what I call the metasystem.

I guess for me the unexpected arrival of LID on the scene serves mostly as an omen of how important it is to build identity on the Law of Pluralism. Which brings me to… the Sixth Law.

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Kim Cameron

Work on identity.