OpenID. I already readed global about if way before the summer vacation but I start thinking about it again.
Everyone knows the problem that you use a lot of website with different usernames and passwords. OpenID is solving this problem.
What is OpenID?
Basically you can create one identification and with that identification it is possible to log in to different sites. This identification is not in the traditional form as an username and password but it is an URL. Everyone is free to set up a identification server for OpenID because it is following the open source principle and if you think your server can’t be trusted than it is easy to go to an other server.
How do I get a OpenID?
The largest group that are using OpenID are technical users and I think it will take a long time before the more average users find this new way of indentification though the OpenID community is trying to make it easier by setting up servers in peoples native language. The dutch people can sign up on http://mijnopenid.nl/.For the English people the URL is https://www.myopenid.com.
How is it working?
I can’t explain it very technical but I just describe the process. The first time you log in with your OpenID on www.sudokular.com he is redirecting you to the site where you registered your OpenID and you get the next question:
You can now say “allow forever” and they never ask you this question again. The next time they only contact this site to authenticate if you are really the owner of this URL
Are there downsides on this?
If it start to get mainstream on the world wide web more people try to break this concept so they can use it in there own benefit. Everyone can set up a server and you get redirected to a side so it doesn’t feel save for phishing sites.
If a large group of Internet users are going to use OpenID there is a change that more sites get build OpenID comptable. Till that happens i’m happy that there are other ways to save my passwords.
