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# ZDNet calls 2007 the year of URL-based identity
- URL: https://www.chrismessina.me/blog/zdnet-calls-2007-the-year-of-url-based-identity/
- Published: 2007-01-03T16:15:06.000Z
- Updated: 2026-03-25T03:39:11.000Z
- Author: Chris Messina
- Tags: Digital Identity, Open source, Technology, Web building

In its [2007 predictions](http://blogs.zdnet.com/digitalID/?p=80&ref=chrismessina.me), Identity World suggests that URL-based identities will take the alpha geek world by storm. I couldn't agree more:

> **URL-based identity begins a cycle of real adoption in the blogosphere and alpha geek communities.** URL-based identity overcame many technical and interoperability hurdles in 2006, and got key buy-in from developing communities. 2007 will see the early incarnations of this technology begin a cycle of significant and real adoption in the blogosphere and alpha geek worlds.

I've started [collecting resources on OpenID](http://ma.gnolia.com/groups/openid?ref=chrismessina.me) over on Ma.gnolia and imagine that in a year's time, these sources will tell the story of how OpenID, like Firefox, rose from the shadows of former monolithic and proprietary endeavors to become the preferred and predominant open source, decentralized solution for representing oneself on the web. Truly there's much work to be done and that's what makes it so existing and worthwhile -- it's young enough and simple enough to still reflect the needs of the individuals whom it serves. I'll be writing about this more soon I hope, but I think Identity World has done a group job with their [predictions](http://blogs.zdnet.com/digitalID/?p=80&ref=chrismessina.me). Now if only ZDNet would follow the advice of their own sages!

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### 💬 Comments from the original post

**[Philip Ashlock](http://www.philaestheta.com/?ref=chrismessina.me)** · 2007-01-04 00:55:50

After Ma.gnolia adopted openID (which was not long after Todd seemed to get interested at BarCamp Earth 06 in Vancouver) I stopped to wonder how the implementation of OpenID might alter the acquisition of a startup. If Flickr or YouTube offered OpenID would it have forced Yahoo and Google to follow? Let's keep the pressure on.

**[//dopefreshtightblog](http://blog.dopefreshtight.de/artikel/openid-in-2007/?ref=chrismessina.me)** · 2007-01-07 06:10:24

**OpenID in 2007...**URL-basierte IdentitÃ¤tsdienste wie OpenID lÃ¶sen einen guten Tei der Authentifizierungsprobleme im Web2.0: Multi Sign-on und das Aktualisieren der IdentitÃ¤tsdaten bei zig verschiedenen Diensten kÃ¶nnten schon bald der Vergangenheit angehÃ¶ren, denn O...

**[OpenID, Portable Social Networks and the Darowski Problem at Like It Matters](http://www.brianoberkirch.com/?p=820&ref=chrismessina.me)** · 2007-01-23 11:14:49

\[...\] Messina says 2007 might be the year of URL-based identity. Sphere It Filed under microformats, bbauth, linkedin, socialnetworks, openid, xfn, identity \[...\]