InverseFunctional properties are the new URI?

Hi All,

I've noticed that some RDF specs (including FOAF and DOAP) use
inverseFunctional properties instead of URIs to identify instance
resources. 

I can see an instant benefit in doing this - end users don't need to
worry about the problems of minting URIs, maintaining them etc..

Is this the way RDF is going - URIs for the schema, BNodes with
InverseFunctional properties for the instancedata?
What are the consequences?

Cheers,

Phil