OpenID

What is an OpenID?

OpenID is a simple community built technology that lets you use your existing presence on the web as a form of identity. Just like you can use an email address as a form of identity, OpenID lets you use a web address (URI) that you control to sign in on other sites. And just like email addresses, you can have more than one, for work, or at home, or for any other use. But unlike email, the sites you use can’t spam you or access your data unless you give them permission.

Why OpenID?

With OpenID, you don’t have to sign up and create a new account for each site that supports OpenID – you can just use the identity you already have. Hundreds of millions of OpenIDs already exist – you might have one today from services that you already use. And OpenID is designed to solve real-world problems around single sign-on, without unnecessary complexity. With the ability to run a small business on OpenID via tools from 37Signals, build a blog and community using Blogger, Drupal, MovableType, or WordPress, or manage your photos with SmugMug or Zooomr there isn't a good excuse not to have one.

You’ve Got an OpenID.

Many of the most popular services on the web already provide you with an OpenID that you can use on other sites. If you’ve got a blog or an instant messenger screen name, the table below will show you how to find out what your OpenID is. While not as widely available, Sun Microsystems offers all of its employees an OpenID proving their employment and France Telecom offers OpenID to their internet subscribers.

Please check out http://openid.net/get/ to see if you already have an OpenID

How do I get an OpenID?

Otherwise you can get an OpenID from a dedicated OpenID provider such as:
- myVidoop.com (username.myvidoop.com)
- myOpenID.com (username.myopenid.com)
- Pip.verisignlabs.com(username.pip.verisignlabs.com)
- XDI.org Accredited I-Brokers provide XRI i-names (=name, =community*name)
- OpenId.35.com OpenId.35.com is a FREE,Secure SSL-enabled OpenId 2.0 Service provider,combined with social network features that let users connect with each other.
- Sxipper (username.sxipper.com)
- ClaimID Excellent OP, nice feature set - myID.net Free OpenID Provider with support for groups and Korean language.
- For a full list please visit: http://openid.net/get/

If you are feeling adventurous check out these bleeding edge OpenID providers:
- EqualsYou.com dot com = website, i-name = you
- Inkblots.com - Microsoft Research Very neat experimental OP using Inkblots for passwords

Creating an OpenID account is just like registering for a forum, with the exception that your username will be in the form of a OpenID URL (e.g. kfox.myopenid.com) or XRI (e.g., =drummond.reed) and this new username can be used to login to lots of different OpenID-enabled sites.

How do I use it?

You enter your OpenID on the login page of any site that supports OpenID (look for the OpenID logo), authenticate with your OpenID provider and surf on. Tens of thousands of sites are OpenID enabled.

There are two good directories of OpenID enabled sites:
http://myopenid.com/directory
http://openiddirectory.com

You can find more places to use your OpenID at http://OpenID.net/where/.

Where can I Learn More?

The OpenID foundation has a wealth of information available at http://OpenID.net

Remember that no one ‘owns’ OpenID, it is an open standard that already has support from AOL, BBC, ClickPass, Google, IBM, Infoteria, JanRain, Microsoft, NRI(Japan), Orange, SixApart, SourceForge, Sun, Sxip, Telligent, VeriSign, Vidoop, Yahoo!, Youtility, and many others. OpenID is a protocol made for the public, by the public. No one owns or controls your information… You do.