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

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

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

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

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/

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!

The Bad Security Issues Privacy/Tracking Issues Not a “trusted system” Usability Issues Adoption problems Single Point of Failure Issues http://www.flickr.com/photos/7453215@N08/2192953256/

Security Issues

Privacy/Tracking Issues

Not a “trusted system”

Usability Issues

Adoption problems

Single Point of Failure Issues

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/

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

Identification 2.0 Multiple social sites means LOTS of user/pass combinations http://www.flickr.com/photos/35034360660@N01/32953845/

Multiple social sites means LOTS of user/pass combinations

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

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!

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/