I met Mike for the first time at IIW2006a in May. I am not totally sure how he got there (I am sure that is a subject of a few blog posts) but some how it was through the Imergence project.

He is a non-engineer and relative "newbie" in the community. In discerning what identity is all about he has come to the conclusion that it is about the “trustable” web...."the continued evolution of the Internet to the point that it can deliver what I want, how I want it, in a way that I can control…and trust."

The third great evolutionary phase will be a “full service” phase. This will be characterized by letting “others” do the work or provide the service, without an undue amount of work on the part of the individual receiving the benefit. This is the “set it and forget it” model where we get what we want, when we want it. This phase will be enabled by technology, but it will rely more on how people come to “trust” those with whom they interact. This is the “trustable” web.

The trustable web will come about as the result of three fundamental changes: one technical, one structural, and one relational. The combination will result in a new user-experience, where an individual can “empower” or “trust” the “network” to do things that simplify, enrich, and improve everyday life. The trustable web will be: (1) user-centric, (2) user-controlled, and (3) user-empowered.

I have had a few conversations with him about the intellectual and market framework outlined. It is quite exciting and I can't wait to keep reading in the new year.

Related posts:

1. Office 2.0 begins
2. Business 2.0 gets OpenID wrong
3. The "We" of Identity for "Our Web" (the Social Graph)
4. The insecure keys to our castles SSNs
5. Designing Experience is relevant to Identity