OpenID has two good ideas:
- The user identifies himself using an URL
- The same ID (URL) is used to login to multiple web sites
Google, on the other hand:
- Has a large number of users, and a large internet footprint
- Uses a single ID (the gmail account name) for login to multiple google services (gmail, analytics, adwords, sitemap, blogger, etc)
Google should realize that allowing the google users to use their same (google) ID on other (non google-affiliated, independent or rival) sites, while maintaining the single google logon, is something that the users want. OpenID offers an API for doing exactly that. In this situation, I see three possibilities:
- Google embraces OpenID: Google starts offering an (automatic) OpenID URL for each existing google account, thus allowing the google accounts to be used on any OpenId-enabled web site
- Google develops its own alternative single-logon API, and fights OpenID. The google IDs won’t be URLs in this case, which is unfortunate
- Google does nothing and misses the single-logon opportunity
27 Comments
Yes!! I googled on the subject in question and this was the first hit
Obviously google must embrace openid, otherwise anyone can do it for them.
They already have a proprietary auth API at http://code.google.com/apis/accounts/Authentication.html, so one thing you _could_ theoretically do is to write an openid-server using google Account Authentication Proxy for Web Applications. I’ll be the first to sign
I definitely agree that Google needs to join the movement.
Hopefully the publicity JanRain / Scott Kveton have received recently in Business 2.0 magazine will help. As smaller services like Mag.nolia.com and Technorati promote their implementation of OpenID it seems to help get the bigger sites moving.
Google likes doing things their own way unfortunately. For example, they have been oddly absent in embracing micoformats (hcard, hcal, xfn) and instead have built their own meta format, GData. Its redundant development.
Hopefully the will not view OpenID as something to compete with and instead will become one of the biggest OpenID providers.
Yes im hoping that google supports OpenID, sure would be handy.
So when I sign up to a new service I’m not creating a new usernmame/pwd. And the new service is also not getting my user/pwd. google does the authentication for this other site and what do they get from it
why does someone want to be an openid server?
Yes, I like your logic
Why … simple to
- serve customers
- to provide a simple auth function
- to support OpenSource
- to use open standards
- to build trust (very impotent for Google in the future)
- save money (redundant cost always)
- let the user decide (e.g. who provide the ID service)
more?
I think trust is the most impotent
I would love to see Google become an OpenID provider.
There are a lot of providers already out there but only a few which I trust (such as VeriSign). It would be very convenient if Google joined in.
I think the answer is a variation of the third possibility:
-Google does nothing and waits everybody uses their services, that way people will have a single-logon…
Maybe it helps if mozilla.org will support OpenID
See my HP link or https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=400598
I don’t think this is a lucrative deal for google. There is already privacy suspicions surrounding google. Embracing this just give conspiracy theorist more ammunition.
I like google, but I don’t want google to provide every single service under the sun.
That is a freeken difficult question. I had to google it to get the answer.
I want to implement OpenID in my site, but cannot find an example of how to do that…
The only problem with this is that google ids are inherently linked to your email account as well. The whole point of openid is to not have to give your email to sign up to a site. The only way to get around this would be to either randomize the name (bad), or select a new username (decent).
Kris, check http://openid.net/developers/ and you may find the answer.
Google should embrace openID. All sites should embrace it. The only issue being, if someone finds out your password…
of Course Google now has blogspot covering openid
with compatible logins and a server for blogspot blogs
What happens when an openid server goes down? You’ll be locked out of all kinds of services.
But what happens when an openid server goes down? You’ll be locked out of all kinds of services.
Good point brandon,
Someone can shed some light on this ??
Open Source
How do I get OpenID?
Also, what if Google does be evil – sells out a blogger or censors the web for a totalitarian government?
You cancel your account in disgust and now you cannot log into http://www.WhyCan‘tWeAllJustGetAlong.org to tell everyone of your virtue.
Also, what if Google does be evil – sells out a blogger or censors the web for a totalitarian government?
You cancel your account in disgust and now you cannot log into http://www.WhyCan‘tWeAllJustGetAlong.org to tell everyone of your virtue.
BTW – I cannot do math and failed the question when posting. Trying to repost but now it says a duplicate post. so sorry if this is posted more than once. *I* do not see it posted after I refresh.
Openid as I have seen it is a distributed system and in concept is like the internet itself. Built in such a way as to not have a single weak point.
A little heads-up for those people searching for Google OpenID initiatives: Google already has it! =]
Don’t believe me? Check it out! Google is part of the list:
http://openid.net/get/
You can use your blogger address to login to OpenID websites.
I don’t see Google listed at http://openid.net/get/. Am I just blind or was it removed?
Nice SEO.
Sorry, I should have been more clear. Google itself isn’t in the list, but blogspot/blogger is and Google owns blogger. In fact, I think every new google account automatically comes with a blogger account nowadays. Don’t quote me on that though.
For Google’s OpenID:
Blogger
blogname.blogspot.com
http://openid-provider.appspot.com/
Google Accounts offer an OpenID as well.
http://openid-provider.appspot.com/
Google Apps offer an OpenID as well.