The always intelligent blog of Jean-Christophe posts a provocative view of Banking evolution.

While the Mutual Credit launches an advertising campaign where it asks its customers what they would do if they were bankers, the bank of tomorrow is already moving& elsewhere

Source: Translated version of http://capelli.typepad.fr/capelli/2007/03/si_jtais_banqui.html

The English translation, courtesy of Google is here.

Even with the rough translation, I like this point, that is fundamental to the success of social integration with real business – transparency and yet confidentiality.  Note I had to add some prepositions to make it closer to the French original:

New tendency of Web 2.0 on the subject of transparency and of confidentiality: the new tendency of Web 2.0, it is that the users say some more on themselves. The question is: until where people must they go in the exposure of themselves to secure a loan? There is a thin limit between transparency and confidentiality. It is a constant: people want to be free AND in safety.

It is essential to get this right.  As much as many people seem willing to share all aspects of their life, it would be disingenuous to think that tendency is exponential.  My view is that as time passes, and more people see the direct consequences of internet transparency, their will be a move towards that which provides a benefit of some type. 

Example:  internet searches are becoming the new norm for investigating job applicants.  What is the impact of youtube on that?

Having said that the idea of providing information to get something, such as a loan is not new. Customers always gave information to lenders.  P2P lending changes that, so the nature of information, sharing with others in a way that is adequately transparent, yet retains adequate confidentiality is a new problem.  The definition of confidentiality, and how that is implemented becomes absolutely essential to the success of such models as Zopa and Prosper, in order to ensure attractiveness to the mass customer.