[cap-talk] Capabilities and Freedom vs. Safety

[Nigel Williams]

On 7/23/07, Jonathan S. Shapiro <shap at eros-os.com> wrote:
> However, it *is* possible to ensure that the connection is severed once
> the purchase is completed. There is no way to know that only the
> purchase data (and not other personal information) went out, ...

I wonder how important this concern about leaking personal information
is going to be as we move into an era of multiple online identities.
An interesting side-effect of the Internet is people's desire for
multiple (online) identities. With the availability of throw-away
phone numbers and email, throw-away credit cards and the future
arrival of true identity management on the desktop, "personal
information" may no longer be that personal. The lifetime of an
identity might equal the duration of the transaction, once the vendor
has the money and the transaction is complete perhaps the identity
dissolves with it.