Martian speaks wisely about why open voice networks aren’t a technology problem but a social entrepenural one.  At the same time he is also talking about a minor aspect of why internet identity isn’t a technology problem.

These days I find myself thinking that internet identity is hard because the gap between people’s intuitions and the technology substrate is so vast.  In the real world privacy tends to be the default; in the virtual world it’s the other way around.  Saying we lack a substrate for creating privacy in the net is the worst kind of understatement; it’s a bit like saying I lack x-ray vision.

As he says we lack good understanding of what makes an open v.s. closed network.  Capitalists care about that, since closed networks have the potential to generate great wealth.  I care because there is a huge swath of tiny groups that can’t get the benefits of adding a virtual aspect to their existence.  For example the 3rd grade parents can’t put their contact list on line.  Which is killing these groups and that’s very bad for the social network’s health.