OpenID: The Last Element in the Web 2.0 Puzzle

As you know, OpenID is a convenient technology for “end-to-end” authorization on various sites on the Internet. Having set up a single account, a user with his help carries out authorization on all websites that support OpenID.

The user creates his personal page on any OpenID-site, which with the help of special OpenID-tags turns into a "virtual passport" of the user. It stores the name, email address and other data that may be required during registration. The line with the URL of this “passport” can be used as a login on any site that supports this technology.

According to experts with O'Reilly Radar, the OpenID system is “the last necessary element in the Web 2.0 puzzle,” since the next generation web definitely needs a decentralized identification system.

Currently, dozens of social networks are trying to "fence off" each other through closed registration systems. MySpace user cannot specify LinkedIn user as his “friend” , and this is clearly an artificial, far-fetched division of people into fractions. No sites have the right to control the identity of the user.

One can imagine the future where a unified identification system will operate. Virtual personalities will be created once and for all. They can be used immediately for all sites. It will be impossible to fake a virtual identity, and each virtual authority will accumulate over the years. We get an almost exact analogue of the human name system that operates in the offline world. Naturally, Web 2.0 needs such a system.

In this sense, the fact that the OpenID system is rapidly increasing its influence is encouraging. Currently, it is supported by about 500 sites. For users of the popular blogging platforms Livejournal and Vox , OpenID accounts are automatically created. Two dozen servers are already registered as OpenID providers.

There are additional services that extend the functionality of OpenID. For example, the BotBouncer system offers the implementation and maintenance of anti-spam CAPTCHA tests on all sites that support OpenID.

Six Apart and other companies that promote the standard of open decentralized identification have created a special marketing program that promotes the open standard and holds various promotions. For example, independent developers can create their own development for OpenID and publish them under the open source license. The authors of the first ten programs will share a prize pool of $ 5,000 among themselves.