Is there room for a for-profit company in this space?
All,
Just to give you some background, my name is Ryan Janssen and I'm the
COO of Angelsoft (www.angelsoft.net). We're an NYC based software
company that provides the back-end infrastructure to about 300 Angel
Investor groups around the world.
I've been thinking along very similar lines as DP.org,
AttentionTrust.org, and APML, but from a for profit perspective. At
the bottom of this post, I've attached a brief vision statement I
created a few months ago describing a for-profit approach to this
space. Obviously a number of the assumptions would have to be
rethought should a truly open alternative be created, but I wonder if
a movement like this couldn't benefit from the organization and
capital a for-profit enterprise can provide. For example:
1. I'd like my Personal Digital Profile stored online, as I don't
even like my web history on my laptop. Given the sensitive nature of
the data, its importance, and its irreplaceability, I'd like it stored
in a serious data facility and most likely encrypted. Is this an
opportunity for a for-profit company?
2. For my Personal Digital Profile to be useful, it would have to be
served quickly and reliably to sites I wanted to share it with. Is
building out a PDP delivery network an opportunity for a for-profit
company.
3. I'd like a great website where I can manage my PDP. Is this a
place for a for-profit company?
I've been seriously considering investing a big chunk of change to
build out this kind of infrastructure, but quite honestly, I'm not
sure how a standards body controlled by some of the biggest holders of
my personal data (i.e. Google, Facebook, Plaxo) affects this as an
investment. Will they want to control and monetize the associated
support network? Would my time and money be better invested in
building consumer applications to use this data or in another space
altogether? How can entrepreneurs in this space work with DP.org?
Below is a vision statement for Knosi:
What is Knosi?
Using three components--the Knosi Bot, the Knosi PDP Manager, and the
Knosi API--Knosi fundamentally changes the way the Internet works by
making it aware of who you are.
What is a Knosibot?
A Knosibot is a free, downloadable client application that collects
information about computer usage. Each individual controls how
promiscuous the Knosibot is. A fully enabled Knosibot has 5
components:
1. Computer Historian--The Computer Historian monitors a person's
computer activity. It monitors how long a person spends on websites
and using desktop applications.
2. File Librarian--The File Librarian gathers information about all
the files on a person's computer to understand their tastes in music,
video, and other digital assets.
3. Packet Sniffer--The Packet Sniffer monitors all the network traffic
a person generates to get a better sense of their online activity.
4. Key Logger--The Key Logger monitors a person's keystrokes and
searches for keywords and patterns.
5. Personal Spider--The Personal Spider goes out to commonly accessed
URLs and gathers information about social networks, online contacts,
and previous purchases.
What is the Knosi PDP Manager?
A Knosi Personal Digital Profile is an exhaustive description of a
person based on all of their digital assets. This includes: web
history, application usage, computer files, and digital social
connections. The PDP Manager is a website that enables people to see
their PDP, edit their PDP, and control what applications have access
to their PDP.
What is the Knosi API?
The Knosi API is an open, standards-based API that allows websites
limited access to a person's Knosi PDP. The website must have an
existing relationship with the person and the person's permission to
use their PDP.
Why would anyone want a Knosi PDP?
We put people in control of their existing Personal Digital Profile
and make it more complete, transparent, and manageable. Everyone one
of us has a PDP whether we know it or not--it resides on our personal
computers and on servers around the world. A PDP that is unknown and
uncontrolled is a threat to our personal security and privacy. A PDP
that is consolidated, transparent, and manageable could be the most
important untapped digital asset that we each possess.
Who would pay for Knosi?
Nearly every website in the world can benefit from the Knozi API--
online retailers, advertisers, search engines, social networks, and
news portals to name a few. We also believe that the Knozi API will
serve as the basis for whole new classes of web-based services. Knozi
will be able to fundamentally improve the quality of data delivered
throughout the Internet and will charge any commercial enterprise
above a certain size to use its PDP delivery network.
Will people ever trust any company with this information?
The question isn't IF it will happen; the question is WHEN it will
happen and WHO will make it happen. We believe that if Knozi
successfully executes its product development and marketing plans with
its core values of Security, Transparency, and Neutrality at the fore,
we have a chance to become what will be one of the most important
technology companies of the 21st century.
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