The good, the bad and the

ugly

Robin Hastings

Info Tech Manager

Missouri River Regional Library

Social Software Showcase – ALA 2008

What Is OpenID?

• Shared identity service

• Log into many websites (not related) with single digital identity

• Use OpenID “identity provider” instead of multiple user/pass combinations

• ID providers include AOL, Yahoo!, Microsoft, Google, IBM, Verisign and more

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Openid

What Is OpenID?• Personal Use

– Simplify sign-ins– Free & moveable

• Business Use– “Outsource” password &

account management– Easier logins, more

visitors

• Geek Use– Open, decentralized &

free– Uses existing tech

http://www.flickr.com/photos/44532984@N00/755378645/

http://openid.net/what

The Good

• Single Sign-On• Lots of providers –

lots of choices• Easy signup • Works at lots of sites• Open standard – not

owned by any one entity

• Providers can be feature-rich!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/47873724@N00/22109450/

The Bad

• Security Issues• Privacy/Tracking

Issues• Not a “trusted

system”• Usability Issues• Adoption problems• Single Point of

Failure Issueshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/7453215@N08/2192953256/

The Ugly

• Usability Issues– Explanations (where

they exist) aren’t simple/non-technical yet

– Without using the registration extension, requires profile duplication

• Privacy Issues– Tracking– Hacking– Reuse/Recycling of

user names could cause privacy breaches

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28801512@N00/2491827977/

Identification 2.0

• Multiple social sites means LOTS of user/pass combinations

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35034360660@N01/32953845/

My Implementation

• webgoddess.myopenid.com – or openid.rhastings.net/webgoddess

• Uses registration extension – sends info I choose to social sites to start my profile info

• Used at wetpaint.com, firstpagr.com and a few other sites

Your Implementation

• Get an OpenID (or use one you already have…) - http://openid.net/get/

• Log into an OpenID enabled site– https://www.myopenid.com/directory– http://openiddirectory.com/

• …

• Profit!

             This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 License.

Credits:

Photo on title slide: http://www.flickr.com/photos/98652633@N00/68034527/

OpenID Logo on title slide: http://www.flickr.com/photos/68415646@N00/1305693334/