OpenID was a great idea in the beginning. However, not everything that was intended to be a good thing turns out perfectly. OpenID was meant to save users time and browse the web more efficiently. OpenID made a promise to users that they would have the ability to explore new websites without having to create a new account with a new website while also having a single, consistent identity throughout the World Wide Web.
It was a promising idea, but…
With more than 50,000 websites that supposedly support the use of OpenID with more than a billion of users, hardly anyone actually utilizes it because of the fact that it was complicated to implement. Each website uses OpenID differently, which ultimately confuses the masses. Therefore, people may have it but rarely use it.
Facebook is the main catalyst to why OpenID has been pushed under the rug. Facebook Connect does nearly the exact same task as OpenID. The difference is that Facebook does it considerably more effectively. People recognize and are familiar with Facebook, therefore, making it much easier to understand.
OpenID may sound as if it’s “knocking it out of the part” with its 50 something thousand supported websites and a billion or so users. However, Facebook has numbers doubled that. What’s most impressive is that Facebook has been around less than half as long as OpenID. Facebook’s main advantage is its brand. Practically everyone with an internet connection has a Facebook account these days. With Facebook Connect, you can create a new profile on whichever website you’re trying to join utilizing your Facebook details, and you have this ability to do so with well over 250,000 websites.
Lack of Security Detail
Another issue that OpenID poses is its lack of security detail. The way a user chooses to authenticate their ID is completely in their hands. Therefore, there is no set level of security. This can pose problems while using the OpenID because it can potentially put users at risk of having their ID hacked. However, there is a lot of development going on with the OpenID Provider Authentication Policy Extender, or PAPE for short. These new developments will assist website owners to detect the providers they can trust by assessing their means of authentication the user utilizes in order to gain access. Hopefully, these new developments will help form a strong security protocol with OpenID.
For now, Facebook is in the lead with their ability to allow internet users to use their Facebook information in order to sign into or sign up with new websites. However, the is potential for OpenID to at least become equal with Facebook. We’ll just have to see how their new developments pan out.