In response to my questions about the word 'identity,' P. T. Ong says:

You don't get definitions right, it's hard to have lucid thoughts, let alone unambiguous communications.

"Do identical twins have different identities even if we can't tell them apart?" Define what you mean by "identity" and I'll answer your question.

We can't even answer basic questions about the "things" we are talking about because we don't have common definitions of them. Convinced yet about the importance of a well defined ontology for the digital identity community?

From Random Thoughts on Digital Identity: If a Tree Falls ...
Referenced Tue Oct 11 2005 13:36:26 GMT-0600 (MDT)

I didn't ask the question about identical twins and their identity because I need an answer. I asked it because I think it help illuminate the fact that people (regular people) know what 'identity' is and it's not a record on a computer. They might not be able to define it, but they know the answer to that question.

Tim Grayson gets a little miffed with Kim Cameron and Craig Burton for not being willing to enter into the ontological discussion. Kim has a post on the use of the term 'digital identity' in the collateral material for an XBox game. I'm inclined to think that 'virtual personality' is a better term for what the game makers want to convey, but may that sounds too much like schizophrenia?