I should make clear that I don’t see relationship problems as tech challenges, but that tech is required if we’re going to have solutions. That’s why I’m approaching it from a technology angle first.

The relbutton, by the way, is not a tech concept. It’s a practical one that grows out of something my wife asked in 1995: “Why can’t I take my shopping cart from site to site?”

No site can solve that problem. It can only be solved by equipping customers with shopping carts — or something better — that belongs to them and is under their control.

As I said here VRM has to be simple and non-geeky. It needs to be less work for customers, not more. Same goes for vendors. The trade-off has to be clear and so choice-free that You Just Have To Do This.

This week is the first time I’ve talked about VRM, and the relbutton in particular, outside our own development community. So naturally it’s all both early and rough. I hope you’ll be patient with us as we hurry as fast as we can to make this stuff happen in the marketplace.

And feel free to throw suggestions our way. We need all the help we can get.

Thanks again,

Doc