[OpenID] [WG-ULX] New login UI prototype; please kick the tires

[Nate Klingenstein]

Dave,

>I'm seeing an address/URL line (though not a usual URL "box") in the 
>popup using FF 3.6.8 . It's pleasant, but it is NASCAR...

That particular prototype is a bit NASCAR, yes, but the general concept is anything but.

The set of providers displayed by default would be constrained by the SP/RP to best match the expected set of providers that users would like to select.  Some providers may not want to display any defaults at all, if they are serving a large and diverse set of identity providers(as ours often are).

On subsequent access of the same site, the prepopulation depends on the prior selections made by that user(and the prototype does include this).  Location-based hinting is another potential enhancement that could help populate the list intelligently, too.

The most anti-NASCAR feature of the mock-up, however, is the typeahead box -- or drag-down menu, if the user is so inclined -- that allows users to effectively select from sets of identity sources that number in the thousands, without requiring them to understand e.g. domain names or URL's, and without violating their privacy by asking for a personal identifier.

For our community, I view this GUI as an excellent step forward, and it has received positive response when I solicit feedback from campuses.  The loudest question they ask is, "when can you have this implemented by?"  My personal biggest concern is accessibility, followed closely by simplifying the intelligent integration of the discovery interface into pages for developers.  But I haven't seen anything this promising for solving the discovery problem in a long, long time.

Thanks for your feedback too,
Nate.