"In contrast to the means of identity provided by an external party, there are also identities or personas that we create for ourselves in the digital world where we choose how to portray ourselves and the claims we make. This category also includes identities or personas that use pseudonyms or other approaches to obscure all or part of our formal “legal” identity, thereby presenting ourselves as we want to be seen rather than embracing an identity provider’s definition. These identities are heavily oriented toward the preferences of a particular individual, but may offer claims that clash with those of established identity providers."

"...my self-asserted ID is fine for basic information gathering, posting, and communication. But if my activities on [a] forum move to commerce, my (theoretical) bank-issued ID suddenly becomes more relevant. But it will be much better (and safer) for the bank to vouch for (or assert) my identity (without having to reveal the identifier that gives me access to my money) via a federated mechanism."