I like the term you use — “Open Privacy Standards”

How are you thinking this might operate?
- Like W3C recommendations, just recommendations?
- Like a reusable privacy policy that has a name, similar to how we repeatedly reuse the Apache license?
- Like manufacturing standards, where they get a “stamp of approval” that proves they’ve been inspected and have proved to match up to the standards?

A lot of people talk. and talk. and have podcasts.

But in the end its Joe-Lunchbox-Coder that writes that little snippet of something or other, shares it with a pal, and starts a small fire that becomes a wildfire. This happens way way down on the tip of the long tail, you know, that area no one pays attention to.

Pick a kernel of identity that is neglected, and then hack on it from a number of perspectives. Blog about your reasoning some, and then code some more. Once you get some really pissed off sounding criticism from someone who can’t pinpoint a concrete reason why your idea is bad, but They Don’t Like It — well, then, I’d say you’ve probably done something right.

I’d say in the short term you might want to make it some cool little service that does a little something-something, and you can move some ads — and I say this because, it seems like we as a collective discover new ideas on the web as proprietary services, and then we make them into distributed protocols. If you try and make the Next Big Protocol right out of the gate, then, well, you are probably screwed since everyone else will be wanting everyone else to use their Next Big Protocol. And then everyone sits around in their own sandbox and nothing happens. However, if you have at least a cool little service that builds some brand recognition, then, well, you’ve got some leverage to trade on, and you can build a coalition to move data around with.

Just like with research, the proof is in the results, not the podcast.

thanks for all your work!