comments, authenticity, identity and digital footprint

Image from http://completeinnovator.com/2010/08/25/6-secrets-to-corporate-authentict/

The start of this thought was that a while back Facebook started to offer a service that allows you to comment on a blog post, such as this, using Facebook.

Plus side is make it easy to collect comments and gain engagement as not everyone has a Blogger, WordPress, Disquss or other commenting login or can be bothered with the unique logins every time to comment. Or is happy to hide.

Downside is control by Facebook and using dominant position to force players out of the market (think Microsoft bundling browser) which is one side, but the other side is the possibility of a single identity. 

The shift here is from the identity we are given by our company/ government/ network or bank (many and in silos) to the one your parents gave you and your professional attitude.

There is plenty to read on this topic …. Stowe Boyd, GigaOm, Kaliya, Identity commons, Scoble, Jeff Jarvis

The observation is that some want single identity and some don’t.  For some control is critical, for some separation (compartmentalise), others persona, someone tracking. 

If this is the case (we all want something different from identity) then giving user control looks like a winner; but what are we offering the user to control of and how?