OK - so one of the first complaints I get about FOAF is privacy. And I blindly just keep repeating the mantra: "each system is repsonsible for their own security." And then someone asks "do you think everyone will want their FOAF files sent around" and I reply "then don't put anything into your FOAF you don't want others to know about".

OK - so I'm sitting here - waiting for the results of two FOAF based systems to sucessfully import and export FOAF files between each other - and others have said "we can just spider and scarf" - just like any other red-blooded web developer.

And I answer "yes - but we want to get the end-user involved in all this".

So this morning I get an invite into a new system - called AskMyNetwork.com - truly a YASNS. But this one's got some twists. It's a recommendation (read: reputation) network, enabling folks to recomend services, people, restaurants, etc. And it (apparently) has scarfed up a bunch fo FOAF and they're using it for..... well let me tell you how.

1. So I'm looking around this YASNS and there's a button that says:

You have at least 48 potential connections - users that the network believes you already know, but haven't added to your connections list yet.

2. So I click on it - and sure enough, there's good old Mr. Joi Ito. "Ah" - I say, someone warm and fuzzy. So I click on it - and the system asks me for Joi's email. Huh?

3. Now wait a minute - how did they know a) that I know Joi and b) that they DON'T know Joi's email......

4. Hmmmmm - there was also a long list of 48 other people there. Hmmmmmm. Think. Think.

5. Oh shit - they scarfed a FOAF file from somewhere (I think it's the set of FOAFs I have on Phil Pearson's TopicExchange! Ouch - now I have to eat my own dogfood!

6. Solution? Give the end-user the explicit control over exporting FOAF. That's what the FOAFnet is going to do.

7. So Dom Ramsey - if you're reading this - please make AskMyNetwork.com a FOAFnet compliant site and work with us to make ALL FOAF based sites adhere to these simple rules.....

A) No one's FOAF is exported without their explicit permission.

B) No one gets bothered if they don't provide their email - get the hint!

C) Please stop collecting FOAF files as if they're little trophies to be put up on a mantle and admired.

-----

Next week I'l critique the entire premise of AskMyNetwork and why these recommendations should be locked up inside some data silo - or set free - and placed onto open servers.

-----

Epilog - they do have some coolio animated gifs though........