Surviving (and Thriving in)
the Online Identity Wars
Joseph Smarr
April 1, 2009

One year ago

Web 2.0 Expo, SF

I introduced two concepts

The “Social Web Ecosystem”

The “Social Web Ecosystem”

and its “Virtuous Cycle”

and its “Virtuous Cycle”

Together, these are now the
blueprint for the industry

Together, these are now the
blueprint for the industry

Together, these are now the
blueprint for the industry

Together, these are now the
blueprint for the industry

Together, these are now the
blueprint for the industry

Together, these are now the
blueprint for the industry

Together, these are now the
blueprint for the industry

Six months ago

Web 2.0 Expo, NYC

I coined a new term

The new “Open Stack”

The new “Open Stack”

The phrase has been adopted by
the industry and media.

The phrase has been adopted by
the industry and media.

The phrase has been adopted by
the industry and media.

The phrase has been adopted by
the industry and media.

Last month

SXSW, Austin

I floated the term

The “Slippery Salamander”

The “Slippery Salamander”

The “Slippery Salamander”

Despite that stumble...

My other predictions have
been pretty good:

What’s really going on here?

A sea change
is underway.

The web is
going social.

The Social Web
is going open

at a
quickening
pace, as

Facebook
MySpace
Google
Yahoo
Microsoft
AOL

race each
other to
open up

and vie to
become
your
preferred
Identity
Provider.

What’s a site to do

to survive in this phase of the

Online Identity Wars?

Let’s start with what not to do.

DON’T

DON’T
Ask your users to create yet-another-
account/password/photo/profile

DON’T
Ask your users to create yet-another-
account/password/photo/profile

DON’T

DON’T
Build proprietary APIs where standards
exist or are under development

DON’T
Build proprietary APIs where standards
exist or are under development

DON’T

DON’T
Try to win through data “scraping”

DON’T
Try to win through data “scraping”

DON’T

DON’T
Choose a “data lock-in” business model

DON’T
Choose a “data lock-in” business model

DON’T
Choose a “data lock-in” business model
Image credit: Naomi Bennett

DON’T

DON’T
Assume Facebook is now and will always
be a “walled garden”

DON’T
Assume Facebook is now and will always
be a “walled garden”

DON’T

DON’T
Assume Facebook is the entire Social Web

DON’T
Assume Facebook is the entire Social Web

Okay. That can help you survive.

What about thriving?

DO

DO
Customize your UX for the Identity
Providers that best serve your business

DO
Customize your UX for the Identity
Providers that best serve your business

DO
Anyone want a demo?

DO

DO
Implement FB Connect and Open Stack
or outsource it (RPX, Google FriendConnect)

DO
Implement FB Connect and Open Stack
or outsource it (RPX, Google FriendConnect)

DO

DO
Focus on generating Activity Streams to
ride the Virtuous Cycle

DO
Focus on generating Activity Streams to
ride the Virtuous Cycle

DO

DO
Go for maximum distribution; work with
all webwide aggregators

DO
Go for maximum distribution; work with
all webwide aggregators

DO
Go for maximum distribution; work with
all webwide aggregators

DO
Go for maximum distribution; work with
all webwide aggregators

DO
Go for maximum distribution; work with
all webwide aggregators

DO
Go for maximum distribution; work with
all webwide aggregators

DO
Go for maximum distribution; work with
all webwide aggregators

DO
Go for maximum distribution; work with
all webwide aggregators

DO

DO
Build APIs around your unique content
and services, and do so in standard ways

DO
Build APIs around your unique content
and services, and do so in standard ways

DO
Build APIs around your unique content
and services, and do so in standard ways

DO

DO
Pay attention to this rapidly-evolving space

DO
Pay attention to this rapidly-evolving space

DO
Pay attention to this rapidly-evolving space

DO
Pay attention to this rapidly-evolving space

in conclusion...

In this time of
massive, rapid
sea change

the greatest
opportunity
comes from
aligning with it.

Let’s open it up for Q&A.