FAQs about idleaf

What is an idleaf?

An idleaf is a partial identity on the web. "Partial" means that you only present a part of your real identity on an idleaf. E.g. this can be...

• ...a business identity:
  You provide for example a link to the companies website, business contact data, papers you published for this business and other related resources for this business. Private data or data of other business are not part of this idleaf.
• ...your personal identity:
  Provide personal resources like your private weblog, your pictures at flickr.com, your MySpace page and so on. Bundle resources on this idleaf for which you think that people should know that they are connected to your identity.
• ...a contact identity for a website:
  If you have multiple websites (e.g. weblogs, own projects etc.) and you don't want to put always the same contact data below your work. Maybe you don't want that people know, that you blog under the address ABC and also under XYZ. But you want to provide your readers the possibility to contact you. So you create two idleaves.
• ...a file sharing identity:
  You want to share files with your friends. You can put them on a newly created idleaf, protect them -- if necessary -- with a access code and provide them to your buddies.

There are a lot of such idleaf scenarios and these were only a few of them. And with every idleaf you get also a contact platform where people can send you messages without the need to publish your e-mail to the internet -- this avoids Spam.

Why should i manage my online identity?

Because the web has grown so fast and there are so many information out there. Also information about you. These information can be correct or they can be wrong. But if no one manages these information and separate right from wrong there can occur problems. Maybe at your next job application. The human resources department will "Google" your name and they will find a lot of data about you. If you have a managed identity in the web (for example an idleaf) they will find it and they will have resources which have been verified by you.

There are many other identity management systems. Why do you create idleaf?

Because it was time for something fresh in the internet. ;) And a system which provides the concept of partial identities. Additionally i have always missed the possibility to create a "keep it small and simple" profile where i can put resources together and offer also a contact platform for people. Other platform don't have this smooth combination of all things together.