Scripting News: Since we're into puzzles today

Scripting News, the weblog started in 1997 that bootstrapped the blogging revolution.

Since we're into puzzles today

Marc Canter and many other people think I'm full of it when I say the right number of identity systems for each user is 1. But I am right. And I know it.

It's a Zen puzzle, almost a riddle, one which a smart user like my pal Ponzi would never be confused by. You have to be a great geek tech genius like Marc to get it wrong. ";->"

Here's the puzzle. If all identity systems you use interoperate seamlessly, grasshopper, how many identity systems do you use?

Here's a hint. How many email systems do you use? RSS systems? Web systems? The correct answers are 1, 1, and 1.

Last update: Thursday, June 3, 2010; 4:01:00 PM

~About the Author~

Dave Winer, 55, is a visiting scholar at NYU's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. He pioneered the development of weblogs, syndication (RSS), podcasting, outlining, and web content management software; former contributing editor at Wired Magazine, research fellow at Harvard Law School, entrepreneur, and investor in web media companies. A native New Yorker, he received a Master's in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin, a Bachelor's in Mathematics from Tulane University and currently lives in New York City.

"The protoblogger." - NY Times.

"The father of modern-day content distribution." - PC World.

One of BusinessWeek's 25 Most Influential People on the Web.

"Helped popularize blogging, podcasting and RSS." - Time.

"The father of blogging and RSS." - BBC.

"RSS was born in 1997 out of the confluence of Dave Winer's 'Really Simple Syndication' technology, used to push out blog updates, and Netscape's 'Rich Site Summary', which allowed users to create custom Netscape home pages with regularly updated data flows." - Tim O'Reilly.

Mail: scriptingnews1mail at gmail dot com.

May Jul