What is this website?

We created this site to talk about i-names, which were launched publicly this week at Digital ID World. The launch saw more registrations than any of us would have believed (thanks, Slashdot) and we are happy to see the interest and support. As of now, the promotion is over and i-names have returned to their regular price.

This site is will remain up to provide some basic information and some details about i-names as well as the link to buy them. There is a lot of information out there about i-names, XRI and XDI

We wanted to take the opportunity to explain a little how we see them helping enable a more "user-centric" digital identity model that inherently includes trust, privacy, and reputation.

Who are we?

We are a wholesale i-broker and its retail customers (see logos on the right) helping to develop i-names and i-services. We started this work in search of solutions to our hot-button issues, like spam, a growing lack of privacy and identity theft. We found that each of these (and some others) have their root cause in the lack of a robust, trustable, distributed, online identity system. We also found that with the right kind of system in place, you can do A LOT of interesting things.

What do we want?

We want you to get the name that you want and be happy with it. We know that you might buy one and then wonder if your life has really changed for the better. The truth is, changing your life for the better takes time. The services that i-names offer today are a good start, but they are just the basics. We want you to know that there is nothing else quite like i-names and the services that are coming will be life changing.

What is the story with i-names (the short-version)?

I-Names were built to simplify the way you identify yourself on the internet, the way you communicate, and the way that information about you is stored and accessed. They are meant to be as simple as you want (=john or =john.doe or =crazyjohn) and as unique as you are.

Authentication (Single Sign On)

By relying on a 3rd party, trusted by you and by the site needing to verify your identity, you have fewer usernames and passwords to remember and the site doesn't have to maintain an authentication system.

Data Distribution and Control

You can store your personal data (like your shipping address or your email address) at a trusted source and give access to it. If it changes, those allowed access will have the updated information. If you sever your relationship, you can withdraw access. You are in control.

Communication Control

You can choose who you allow communication from. For instance, you might only allow people that have logged into an account, or people whose email address has been confirmed, to send you a message. This sets a more difficult bar for spammers trying to get to you, which makes spam much less cost efficient and less attractive as a business.

I-Names are about user-centric identity and giving people better control of their personal data. Email addresses, phone numbers and domain names are "absolute", meaning once they are given out, access is difficult to control and they are difficult to change. I-names, on the other hand are designed for flexibility.

There are A LOT more services currently in development and on the drawing boards and there are things that can happen with a system like this in place that even we haven't even thought of yet...but this was the short answer. Check out the rest of the site for more thoughts and insights about where this is heading.