The tweets have been rolling in…
Identity Assurance: Mydex’s unique contribution. An interview with @dejalexander @MydexCIC http://www.ctrl-shift.co.uk/news/2012/11/15/identity-assurance-mydexs-unique-contribution/ …
@321CtrlShift interview with my colleague @dejalexander on @MydexCIC and
#IDAssurance http://is.gd/7yyiZk#VRMVery thoughtful @SimonTucker blog post about today’s DWP announcement http://is.gd/zRslHa
#IDAssurance#VRMFor those who wondered how #VRM would first break in the popular press: http://bit.ly/107SqT9 #DailyMirror #Midata #CtrlShift
@Ctrl-Shift 
@williamheath
@Mydex CICSo let’s unpack those.
First, the DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) announcement. What Mydex and others will provide is online identity assurance. (Note: not “providing” an identity.) To explain, Out-Law.com gives us Online identity scheme providers selected to design new DWP framework for verifying claims by benefits seekers.
This is one step in a march of reform led by the U.K. government, and moving in a generally VRooMy direction through the Midata program. Here are some links, starting in late 2011, and listed roughly chronologically:
- Midata Vision of Consumer Empowerment
- Personal Data
- Midata Consumer Data Principles
- Midata empowerment
- A midata future: 10 ways it could shape your choices
- Next Steps Making Midata a Reality
- Midata supporting companies and bodies
The piece in the Mirror focuses on health and retail discounts. VRM is much broader than that, but it’s a good start.
[Later…] More below, from William Heath.
Cheers Doc. Well, if you will come up with these insanely good ideas there’s always the risk that some insane people, somewhere will go and act on them. The it becomes the new normal.
Next up: the UK is likely to do “blue button” like health record givebacks for the whole population. That will be big.
Also of interest will be the ODI midata hackathon last weekend – see http://www.theodi.org/news/inspiration-personal-data-odi%E2%80%99s-midata-hackathon
Small personal point; you call Mydex “William Heath’s company” which is OK in the sense that the Giants are Doc Searls’ baseball team. You know the full background, but for the casual reader I shd state that several of us started Mydex, I’m a shareholder but not the owner, and while I’m the chairman, happy to Tweet about it, there’s a whole executive team which actually devises and executes the excellent reality of it all.