The ability to identify people online is an old topic, and within the field of preventing sexual abuse of kids in digital media it`s quite important. One group of Social Informatics students at Nesna University College showed the participants of the 6th National Getting Involved conference how easy it is to create false Norwegian National Identification Numbers, and thus create an online fake identity that are trusted both by those who operate online services and the users of these services.
Thomas Bogevold, Jonas Tindvik Furu, with Camilla Falch in the background,
at the 6th National Getting Involved Conference, 16th of April 2008. Topic: ID on Internet.
Another way of identifying people is the concept of OpenID.
OpenID is described as “an open, decentralized, free framework for user-centric digital identity. OpenID starts with the concept that anyone can identify themselves on the Internet the same way websites do-with a URI (also called a URL or web address). Since URIs are at the very core of Web architecture, they provide a solid foundation for user-centric identity.” (Source: ifacethoughts)
As a Social Informatics this is a fascinating concept, not the least because it begs the question; Does a set of URL`s constitute a real and true ID or just a collection of carefully prepared “data” to build a false ID?
Take a look at the OpenID service called ClaimID. How would YOUR OpenID look like?
Per Arne Godejord
I don’t find that URIs or any form of identification system that lacks centralized control by a governmental body to be effective. Sure it can provide user-centric identity, and to be sure I have several that work harmoniously based on different aspects of my own life, but none can positively identify me as a unitary being. My students identify me as my teaching URI, my business colleagues by my division within the corporate structure, my family and close friends by yet another, and while all of them know the existence of the other, disregard that aspect in favor of the one they are most comfortable with. And by the same token, is the fact that I have three unique but bound identities representative of me and does it not purport some sense of false identity? Could I not just as easily incorporate false data into all of them and become a totally different person?
Interesting concept. I am neither a proponent or opponent of the OpenID concept though I will say it seems to be better than previous attempts.