[OpenID] Musing on FaceBook, OpenID and the next mountain to climb

[David Recordon]

Is it a question of the technology being able to do this or someone  
showing it can be done with it?

Is there really anything that Facebook did that couldn't be  
accomplished with OpenID Authentication 2.0 and OpenID Attribute  
Exchange?  Might it be more evaluating the technology we have right  
now, why it isn't being used to build something like Facebook Connect,  
and then solving that problem versus starting with the idea that we  
need to create more technology?  I do think we'll see Facebook adopt  
OpenID just like MySpace has done; OpenID as the identity transport  
with bits on top to handle profile and API information.

The model of moving all the data during the initial request doesn't  
seem to be the model that is being adopted.  Instead a model where  
OpenID is combined with OAuth to provide initial identity plus the  
needed bits to make future API requests is taking off.

--David

On Jul 29, 2008, at 9:05 PM, Johannes Ernst wrote:

> Like others, I've been amazed about what Facebook has put together  
> with Facebook Connect as announced last week.
>
> Their proposition for relying parties seems to be:
>
> - single-sign-on across the web with a simple user experience
> - high-quality identity information available to RPs
> - social network information available to RPs
> - communication from RP into the social network of the user
>
> and IMHO, that is indeed a great business proposition for RPs.
>
> Of course, they seem to be building this with Facebook-specific  
> protocols, but that's not surprising given that the OpenID  
> technology stack right now is insufficient to accomplish what they  
> wanted to accomplish. But not dramatically so -- it might just be  
> plugging some other technologies into OpenID (like XFN or FOAF etc.)  
> and filling in some gaps if one wanted to do that.
>
> So ... methinks we should grow the OpenID stack over the next 6-12  
> months to be able to do all of this (and more?) with open  
> technologies. This would also make OpenID much more interesting to  
> relying parties...
>
> Open protocols are clearly necessary to grow the entire market,  
> which would be in the interest of everybody including Facebook.
>
> Anybody up to getting an OpenID working group started up to work on  
> this?
>
> [Feel free to respond on the list or privately.]
>
>
>
> Johannes Ernst
> NetMesh Inc.
>
>
> <openid-relying-party-anonymous.gif> <lid.gif> http://netmesh.info/jernst
>
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