XDI.ORG Organizing Principles

The overall PURPOSE of XDI.ORG is to serve as the community governance authority for a set of common services that will enable the Internet to better become what has been called "The Accountable Net" - a network where people can make informed choices about with whom they wish to engage and conduct personal or business relationships. Specifically this means XDI.ORG shall have the following responsibilities:

• XDI.ORG shall further its original mandate to establish and govern a set of XDI global services for registration and resolution of global XRIs (eXtensible Resource Identifiers). (Note that membership in XDI.ORG will not be required to register or resolve these XRIs.)
• XDI.ORG shall also further its original mandate to establish and govern a set of global dictionary services for XRIs that facilitate XDI (XRI Data Interchange) across all domains, languages, character sets, applications, and networks. (Again, XDI.ORG membership will not be required to access or link to these resources.)
• XDI.ORG shall undertake the obligation to establish and govern a global, opt-in public trust network which facilitates trusted XDI data sharing transactions between participants because all participants have executed a common trust agreement and the associated mechanisms of reputation and referral. By definition, this benefit is available only to registrants for XDI.ORG Global Services who opt-in to join this network and whose membership would be verifiable through XDI.ORG Global Services.

XDI.ORG shall undertake the obligation of fostering and growing a governance structure for these responsibilities guided by PRINCIPLES including:

1. Global scope. Be global in scope and purpose and have substantial international participation.
2. Openness. Be open to participation by individuals or organizations of any type anywhere in the world which subscribe to the Purpose and Principles in conducting XDI.ORG activities.
3. Self-Organization. Provide participants the right to self-organize at any time, on any scale, in any form or in accordance with any activity consistent with the Purpose and Principles.
4. Fair Representation. Conduct deliberations and make decisions by bodies, means, and methods that fairly represent all relevant and affected parties and are dominated by none and do not provide an inherent advantage for any party or group.
5. Distributed Authority. Vest authority, perform functions, and use resources in the smallest or most local part that verifiably includes all relevant and affected parties.
6. Minimal Governance. Invite rather than compel positive behaviors to the maximum degree possible.

-from the June 3, 2004 inaugural meeting of the XDI.ORG Board of Trustees