Disruptive Conversations

Vote TODAY for the new logo for the Data Portability project now!

While I have written a bit about the DataPortability.org project and am, in fact, subscribed to the project mailing list, I admit that I haven't been reading the list or following it enough to realize that Red Hat had sent them a "cease and desist" letter regarding the logo. As chronicled here, a logo competition ensued, and the 15 finalists are now posted for people to vote on.

If you are interested in the project, cast your vote today! The deadline is tonight at 11:59pm Pacific US time.

Technorati Tags: dataportability, dataportability.org, red hat

There's still time to join the DataPortability.org video conversation/promotion effort!

There's still time to join the DataPortability.org video promotion effort - the deadline has been extended now to March 31st!

Now you may be saying to yourself: "WHAT video promotion?" Well, if you haven't been following the work of the DataPortability.org project, earlier this month they launched a video conversation/promotion effort where they are asking people to record a video answer 5 questions:

• What does DataPortability mean to you?
• How do you imagine DataPortability might change the way you use the web?
• How would you explain the value of DataPortability to Vendors - those that store the data.
• How would you explain the value of DataPortability to Users - those that create and own the data.
• Ideally, what would you like to see from the DataPortability Project in the next 12 months? 24 months?

The original deadine was today, February 20th, but, as previously mentioned, it's now been extended to March 31st. People are asked to upload a video to any of the video sharing sites with the tag "dataportabilityandme". Some results on YouTube are visible with the tag "dataportabilityandme" and also "dataportablity". Others are appearing on blip.tv, seesmic and also on private blogs. Here's one that I particularly enjoyed:

What do you want in the way of data portability on the Internet? Why don't you join the conversation?

P.S. And yes, I will be doing so soon...

Technorati Tags: dataportability, dataportabilityandme, video, socialmedia, Internet, walledgardens

Yahoo supports OpenID... Yaawwwnnn... when can I *login* to Yahoo! services with OpenID?

The big news in the blogosphere today is that "Yahoo Implements OpenID; Massive Win For The Project". Indeed, Yahoo announced that all 248 million Yahoo! accounts would be able to sign in to OpenID-enabled sites using their Yahoo! ID.

Yaawwwwnnnn.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm a huge fan of OpenID. I've written about it both here and on DisruptiveTelephony. I was part of a long podcast about OpenID security. I subscribe to the DataPortablility.org mailing list. My home site is configured to be an OpenID provider. So is my work blog site.

But that's the point, really...

We don't really need more OpenID providers - we need sites that will accept OpenID!

Here are all the OpenID providers that I can currently use (at least, the ones I remember):

• www.danyork.com
• dyork.livejournal.com
• claimid.com/danyork
• danyork.myopenid.com
• technorati.com/people/technorati/dyork
• danyork.vox.com
• danyork.wordpress.com
• blogs.voxeo.com (and several variants on this URL)
• openid.aol.com/danyork324 as well as a couple of other AOL screen names (per AOL's support)
• and now my Yahoo! account

I obviously have absolutely ZERO problem getting an OpenID.

The problem I have is using one of my OpenIDs. Here's the companion list of where I can use my OpenID on a regular basis:

• leave a comment on a Blogger blog (but I already have a Google account that I'm usually logged into)
• leave a comment on a LiveJournal blog (but I already have a LJ account)
• login to Plaxo (but I had an account there that pre-dates their OpenID support, and yes, I know I can tie them together)
• login to Twitterfeed.com to create a RSS-to-Twitter stream
• leave comments on random other blogs that support OpenID

And... and... and... ???

Now, granted, it's nice to be able to leave those comments... but that's not a whole lot of usefulness out of my zillion different OpenIDs. Yes, I know there is are directories of OpenID-enabled site (for example, here and here). If I ever want a quick wiki page, I know there are half a dozen Wiki sites that let you create one with an OpenID. But here's the thing... I don't use those sites that are listed. Now, maybe I should, as a way of thanking them for their OpenID support, but I don't.

On one level, I'm thrilled that Yahoo is becoming an OpenID provider. It is a huge endorsement for the protocol. But I'd be far happier if Yahoo was announcing that I could login to their sites with an OpenID. Let me choose one of my OpenIDs and let me use that as the one to use to login to my Flickr account, and my Yahoo!Messenger and my Yahoo!Mail and del.icio.us and all the other sites that Yahoo! owns. THAT would be something to be incredibly excited about.

As it is, I fear that some % of those 248 million Yahoo! users will investigate what this OpenID site is all about and find that... well.. there aren't a whole lot of places they can really use it.

That is what we need. (And what sites like SpreadOpenID, which is unfortunately down for maintenance, are all about.)

When will Yahoo! go the next step and let us use our OpenIDs on Yahoo! sites? (I agree with Marshall Kirkpatrick that they probably won't anytime soon.)

P.S. And yes, I'm trying to do my part and get my work blog site to support OpenID for comments.

Technorati Tags: yahoo, openid, identity, dataportability

Don't understand why we NEED "data portability"? Watch this video...

If you don't yet understand why the walls need to come down between social networks, here is this great video from Michael Pick of Smashcut Media (first seen on Particls.Blog):
DataPortability - Connect, Control, Share, Remix from Smashcut Media on Vimeo.

Indeed... this kind of portability is exactly what we need. We need to have control over our own information and network. Join the conversation over at DataPortability.org....

Technorati Tags: attention, data portability, dataportability, dataportability.org, identity, social media, social network portability, social networking, social networks, walled gardens