---
title: Closed Identity
abstract: Bemoaning that I'm not effective.
categories:
- work
content-tags:
- business
- telecom
- twitter
- facebook
external: https://ello.co/gerwitz/post/bjcQ3YCFG5Nkee5mPjeJwQ
---

The [centralization of online identity](http://qz.com/271286/how-facebook-and-google-are-taking-over-your-online-identity/) angers me for two reasons.

First, centralization concentrates power and we all know how that goes. It's also brittle and I really, really want the global internet to be as resilient as possible.

Second, I spent so much effort around 2007 trying to convince my telecom clients they needed to get to this first by capitalizing on the dwindling social weight of phone numbers with a transition path. But executives in both shrugged with "Facebook is just a website."

Neither my socialist nor capitalist side can win.
