MySpace will Support OpenID Log-Ins Between Sites
Date : 22 Jul 2008 Category : Technology
NewsFactor NetworkThe ID is portable to any OpenID-enabled site. Current members of the OpenID Foundation include Yahoo, Google, IBM, Microsoft and VeriSign, among others. The foundation boasts that more than 10,000 Web sites support the technology and nearly 350 URLs are OpenID-enabled.
MySpace rival Facebook does not currently support OpenID.
One ID to Rule Them All
Founded in 2007, the foundation says OpenID is not just for everyday users tired of remembering and entering usernames and passwords, but also for online businesses. With security breaches a primary concern for Internet-based enterprises, OpenID reduces the amount of personal data stored in multiple locations. Eliminating tedious, multiple log-ins should make OpenID sites more attractive to users, the foundation says.
MySpace users can also carry over subsets of their data to other sites, such as media favorites, interests and on-line bios. Foundation members envision a Web experience that requires one log-in for users to move between sites seamlessly, and with their important data protected in one highly secure location. Ideally, photos, media, files and e-mail should travel along as well, blurring the line between Web sites and applications.
A One-Way Street Down a Dark Alley?
As with many technical innovations, there's always a catch. The OpenID "gotcha" appears in the form of OpenID providers and relayers. Many early OpenID supporters such as Yahoo provide log-ins for their customers. The catch comes when a user goes to another Web site. Unless that site has been programmed to accept the IDs, the OpenID is useless.
Developing sites that accept OpenIDs is far more work than...