[OpenID] Walled gardens, different countries

[SitG Admin]

If we look at Facebook (and other social networking sites) as banks, 
keeping users' social currency safe (and maybe giving them interest 
on it), we can come up with some interesting analogies.

The passport analogy has already been used a lot, but that seems to 
apply more to access itself; and the fact is, you *can* access 
Facebook, whether you have OpenID or not.

A banking analogy (which corporate execs may perceive to be close 
enough to the reality that it can be treated as *literally* true - 
who knows how seriously they take this "social currency" stuff?) 
could have allied shops, places of business that would accept that 
bank's money - but plenty of other shops *wouldn't*. That's where 
travel tries to enter the picture again, but let's shift this analogy 
to countries.

The ever-fluctuating currency market is bigger than any single shop's 
ability to say "Your money's no good here."; *every* business in an 
entire country, whether in cahoots with the local government (i.e., 
discounts for those who follow government-dictated trends, with 
kickbacks in return - a suitable analogy, no?) or not, they find that 
they can't do business internationally because their currency has no 
value outside the authority of the local government!

I think that, if we stress to large sites that their "social capital" 
is largely worthless, and show them a way to not only begin changing 
that but attract users while restoring their value in the eyes of 
others, at least one will follow suit. How many are needed to start 
the ball rolling?

Of course, there's also the risk that a "shoot the messenger" 
mentality will keep them from listening to us because they're pissed 
that anyone dare claim their prized assets aren't really valuable, 
but if we haven't got anyone in the Community yet with a talent for 
diplomacy, we've got bigger problems ;)

-Shade