Interesting post. Feels a bit academic to me but interesting post nonethless. Data portability and the potential value of contextual content are the drivers as you note here. While the orwellian concept that major corporations are controlling our data and doing inappropriate things with it is terrifying its far from the reality today. Should we be vigilant in watching out for it? You bet. Should we be paraoid that it's happening? No. Technological change *always* proceeds cultural change. We are adapting our cultural approaches to new applications of technology and the value and security of data is being sorted along the way.

Web 2 apps like social nets and micro messaging platforms as well as web sites themselves are creating a natural exchange on the value of personal data. Really for the first time. The platforms don't set this value the users do. If I provide a bit more data and information in the social nets I participate in I get a bit more value. There is also a law of diminishing return that each user needs to find.

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