October 30th, 2008
Google supports OpenID, kind of
Google has just started supporting (kind of) the OpenID standard for authentication. The problem is that Google has mangled the protocol — the most noticeable change is how the username is an email address rather than a URL. As NeoSmart points out though, it’s a shame that Google has put the “OpenID” label on what they have cooked up:
whatever it is that Google has released support for, it sure as hell isn’t OpenID, as they even so kindly point out in their OpenID developer documentation (that media outlets certainly won’t be reading)
I don’t mind the concept behind using an email address for a username, but if they insist that this is OpenID, they should at least let people use something like “http://www.gmail.com/username” on third party websites, and support the protocol that already exists — the lack of support for existing protocol makes it almost useless right now. It’s going to take unnecessary effort for websites that already support OpenID to conform to Google’s new standard.
What do you think of Google’s implementation of “OpenID”? Let’s hear what you have to say in the TalkBack!
Garett Rogers is employed as a programmer for iQmetrix, which specializes in retail management software for the wireless industry.
See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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