"Oh, I see now. Virtual *IS* Meta!"

Got to love this posting by Phil Hunt.  I've been watching this bit of diatribe back and forth, especially between Dave Kearns and Kim Cameron.  It's a bit like the old story about six blind men trying to describe what an elephant is, each only feeling one part of the beast. One says "it is like a wall", another "it is like a tree", and so forth. 

SO, are we really talking about multiple problems, or one problem with several aspects?  do we need multiple solutions, or is one elephant enough? 

This discussion is good, and I hope everyone is reading all the posts.  They are essential arguments and these guys are no dummies.

Jackon Shaw << Jackson started it here!! / blog home page
Dave Kearns
Kim Cameron
Phil Hunt
Felix Gaehtgens

if I missed someone, let me know... oh yeah... I put in my two-cents here. :)

Metadata

What is metedata? describing metadata and basic application of metadata
http://www.addsimplicity.com/adding_simplicity_an_engi/2007/10/what-metadata.html

Metadata can be very useful in managing identities, knowing the context of users is critical for IDM initiatives (e.g. authorization) leveraging existing policy, groups, and roles means a more consistent enforcement of business logic and better security across your organization.

In this case metadata refers to how the system currently defines a user, I like to refer to this information as context. Why? because the metadata allows me to see the context in which the user operates - what the actor does inside the system.

Understanding your metadata means you can leverage it, as always "knowledge is power"...

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