[Python-Dev] Offtopic: OpenID Providers

[Ben Finney]

Skip Montanaro <skip at pobox.com> writes:

> >> On Thu, Sep 05, 2013 at 02:35:16PM -0400, Donald Stufft <donald at stufft.io> wrote:
> >>> Persona is the logical successor to OpenID.
> >>
> >>   OpenID lived a short life and died a quiet death. I'm afraid Persona
> >> wouldn't live even that much. Dead-born idea, in my so humble opinion.
> >
> > I don't think there's much evidence to support this. I'm seeing more sites support Persona
> > not less. It solves some of the major problems with OpenID.
>
> I was completely unaware of OpenID's demise.

It has failed at its stated purpose, which was to obviate the need for
services to provide their own ad hoc systems and allow users to
consolidate their digital identities.

This is evident by lookig at how few sites have added OpenID login in
the past several years, and how many that once had it have dropped it.

If you're unaware of that, I can only surmise you haven't been trying to
log in with an OpenID to anything newer than about 2009.

> Can someone point me to/provide an explanation?

An explanation in terms of what? I can point you to punditry
<URL:http://www.25hoursaday.com/weblog/2011/01/30/LearningFromOurMistakesTheFailureOfOpenIDAtomPubAndXMLOnTheWeb.aspx>
and hand-wringing
<URL:http://geekyschmidt.com/2011/01/31/openid-death-greatly-exaggerated>.

My own take is that most people choose convenience and expedience over
security and freedom, hence Facebook and Twitter and Google have taken
over the online identity game instead of a federated identity system.

> I much prefer using OpenID to login to a site than having to either
> come up with yet another username/password which I will just forget,
> or using Facebook or similar (I don't really trust them with my info).

Agreed. Our preferences are not enough though.

-- 
 \      “Anyone who believes exponential growth can go on forever in a |
  `\        finite world is either a madman or an economist.” —Kenneth |
_o__)                                                         Boulding |
Ben Finney