So, the TypeKey FAQ has done little to assuage Shelley Powers's fears about a centralized comment authentication system. We're not nearly as worried about it, but with all due respect to Mark Pilgrim, we'd like to point out that TypeKey is fundamentally different from Technorati, Feedster, Blogdex, Bloglines, and, for that matter, probably any existing centralized weblog service you can think of. Each of those services, though centralized, affect a blogger's day-to-day operations very little. They are, essentially, weblog observation tools. They track, search, rank, and aggregate, respectively, but what all of them have in common that makes them different from TypeKey is that they don't directly interact with the weblogs they encounter. That is to say, it's possible for us to run a weblog without worrying too much about a sudden change in policy by those services. Contrast this fact with TypeKey, which, if we decide to support it -- and let's face it, we don't allow comments now at all, so this is purely hypothetical -- requires from us an implicit vote of trust in Six Apart to handle something that directly affects our weblog and its readers.
Additionally, those who chastised the community for criticising TypeKey early may want to read the FAQ themselves. In answer to the question, "Why did you announce TypeKey before its launch?" Six Apart answers that they "wanted feedback" and that such feedback "has helped [them] make some additional design and communication decisions." Turns out they wanted to hear what people had to say. Imagine that.