The Great Blog Hope?

An open letter to SixApart.

Dear TypeKey,

You came promising much, the chance to be able to track myself across the comment boxes of the land, the opportunity to build relations and create networks. A unique insight to my self, my habits and passions. Ohh how you have failed me.

Maybe I expected too much, maybe I didn’t really ‘get’ what you are all about, and if that is the case then accept my apologies and my excuses for my apathy. Mind you, you can’t even be bothered to remember me for longer than two weeks so it’s not like you are trying so hard yourself.

Do you treat others this way? Or have you stopped caring altogether? I once thought of you as a saviour, a guiding light, constant and unwavering, through the maze of commenting systems and blogging platforms. Little did I realise you were just an optical illusion, a dazzling artefact that flattered to deceive.

Don’t worry I’ll keep in touch, I’m not abandoning you, I still care. I just wanted to write to make sure you realised my disappointment.

Yours in apathy,

Gordon McLean

For those who are currently wondering what the chuff I’m waffling on about (and let’s be honest, it’s not the first time):

“TypeKey is a free, open system providing you a central identity for posting comments on weblogs and logging into other websites.”

So, to my mind, what this service could (should) do is, for every website I visit that is TypeKey enabled, allow me to generate a list of all the comments I’ve ever made. Alas that doesn’t seem to be the reasoning.

But why not? It’s the one thing ‘missing’ in most blogging stats, and the hardest one to crack, yet there is an API available so why hasn’t anyone risen to this challenge? Are there pitfalls I can’t see? Why isn’t there a tool to do this? There are a plethora of online tools, with more and more focus on blogs then surely this is a ‘must-have’ item??

I’m confused, let-down and wondering if I should take up the baton myself. Except I’m kinda busy at the moment…

Ohhh and apologies for the title, it’s supposed to be a take on the Great White Hope but not sure it works too well.