So, how do you go about finding out information about a person? There are a lot of methods of doing so. Google Search seems quite effective for finding out the contact details for a lot of people. Add Facebook, Twitter, Orkut accounts, random blogs and mentions on several sites, and you’ve possibly got the person you want. However, this article I read recently talks about the re-introduction of the Finger Protocol.
I remember seeing something similar on certain Web Forum Platforms where you can find out information about a person by keying “finger “. The finger protocol, displays information about a person on entering his nick or his email address. The technical aspects of it are available on the Wikipedia article. The finger protocol was eliminated in order for protection of privacy. However, let’s look at it in today’s perspective. Web 2.0 has evolved so much, a person’s online life is as important as his life off his browser (or mobile). So now, imagine if you could add relevant information to your email address. Google seems quite keen on supporting this venture as is clear by the following conversation on Google Groups. Though the technical details are still being worked out, and the questions regarding security etc. need to be sorted out, the finger protocol could be making a comeback.
A person’s email could well be his distinguishing identity on the net. From the Google Code pages : WebFinger is about making email addresses more valuable, by letting people attach public metadata to them. That metadata might include: * Public Profile Data * A Public Key * Other services used by that email address (e.g. Flickr, Picasa, Smugmug, Twitter, Facebook, and usernames for each) * A URL to an avatar – virtual avatar’s are becoming extremely popular * Personal Profile Data (nickname, full name, etc) * A public declaration that the email address doesn’t have public metadata, but has a pointer to an endpoint that, provided authentication, will tell you some protected metadata, depending on who you authenticate as. The last point allows for different levels of security. How much people can innovate would be useful.
For eg. in Facebook, what if you did not mind the friend of a friend to see certain data that you do not want random strangers to see? With multiple levels of security, varied options for data, WebFinger could well be a very useful tool. Now, let’s look at how different things could get. There are loads of platforms already out which use a unifrom ID. OpenID, OAuth for Twitter APIs. But Google supporting the comeback of the WebFinger could herald in a new revolution. Only for gmail? Or accessible to all? Only time will tell. Until recently, I was of the opinion that Gmail was extremely popular. Quite surprised to hear that it was lagging behind Hotmail, Yahoo and AOL until recently. Will Gmail supporting WebFinger make a difference? Will it raise more security issues about privacy on the internet? What are the possibilities? Could a new social security code for the Internet evolve from this? Any ideas, Mr. Nilekani?
