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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>I see these complaints about OpenID.net
not being understandable to end users and I totally agree with that assessment.
But that was never the goal, and I think simply slapping up a list of openid
providers would be inadequate. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>OpenID is a protocol, not an service offering
or even a technology that a user can use directly. Hence, I don’t see why (as
OpenID, the protocol) should be marketed or even explained to end-users, IMHO. W3C
doesn’t market HTTP to end users, it markets the web (to the extent it markets
to end users at all). This is like promoting the web by putting up links to web
servers and web hosting companies. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>I don’t think the community has actually figured
out what messages are to end users (though I know the marketing group of the
OIDF is actively working on this). <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Right now, I’m simply not all that concerned
about end-users not understanding openid.net – it was never intended for them,
any more than RFC 2616 was intended for users of the web. I think openid RPs
and OPs need to describe to their own users what the experience is going to be
at *<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>their site</span></b>* - the bottom line
is that the user experience for each RP & OP can vary quite a bit – compare,
for example, the user experience on Jyte vs. the user experience on Technorati.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>What the community needs to do is provide
the very basic cognitive structure that the RPs and OPs can be plugged into. That’s
it. OpenID is a piece of a new way of thinking about online digital identity
(user-centric, card/identifier-centric, not service/provider-centric identity)
and *<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>that</span></b>* has to be explained to
the user – only then can OpenID be understood in context in any sort of
meaningful (non-technical) way. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>So, coming around to the topic, I think it
would be useful for the user’s perspective to put together a good
presentation/document/wiki page(s) on user-centric identity (as opposed to a
multitude of username/passwords) and how OpenID fits into this space – I’m sure
there’s something good out there to start with (or just use)? <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Anyone want to work on this at barcamp
block? <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> -Gabe<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>
general-bounces@openid.net [mailto:general-bounces@openid.net] <b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Stephen Paul Weber<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Friday, August 17, 2007 1:38
PM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> openid-general<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> [OpenID] Fwd: Excellent
critique of OpenID usability</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><br>
<br>
---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>
<span class=gmailquote>From: <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Stephen Paul
Weber</span></b> <<a href="mailto:singpolyma@gmail.com">singpolyma@gmail.com</a>></span><br>
<span class=gmailquote>Date: Aug 17, 2007 4:37 PM </span><br>
<span class=gmailquote>Subject: Re: [OpenID] Excellent critique of OpenID
usability</span><br>
<span class=gmailquote>To: Eric Norman <<a
href="mailto:ejnorman@doit.wisc.edu">ejnorman@doit.wisc.edu</a>></span><br>
<br>
I must admit that <a href="http://openid.net" target="_blank">openid.net</a>
should hide all geekery on another page and provide a short list of OPs<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<div><span id="q_114758b39c56b339_1">
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span class=e><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></span></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=gmailquote><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>On 8/17/07, <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Eric
Norman </span></b><<a href="mailto:ejnorman@doit.wisc.edu" target="_blank">ejnorman@doit.wisc.edu</a>>
wrote:</span></font></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><br>
On Aug 17, 2007, at 11:10 AM, Simon Willison wrote:<br>
<br>
> "OpenID: Great idea, bewildering consumer experience"<br>
> <a href="http://miksovsky.blogs.com/flowstate/2007/08/openid-great-id.html"
target="_blank">http://miksovsky.blogs.com/flowstate/2007/08/openid-great-id.html
</a><br>
><br>
> This is a really valuable article. It's a critique of OpenID by a<br>
> usability guy ( <a href="http://miksovsky.blogs.com/about.html"
target="_blank">http://miksovsky.blogs.com/about.html</a> ) - it's pretty <br>
> comprehensive, and provides some useful suggestions for improving<br>
> things at the end.<br>
<br>
Yes it is. Well worth reading.<br>
<br>
And I just made a comment on his blog that most on this list<br>
probably won't want to read. (Mercy sakes, did I ever put too <br>
much cynicism on my Corn Flakes this morning).<br>
<br>
Eric Norman<br>
<a href="http://ejnorman.blogspot.com" target="_blank">http://ejnorman.blogspot.com</a><br>
<br>
<br>
_______________________________________________<br>
general mailing list <br>
<a href="mailto:general@openid.net" target="_blank">general@openid.net</a><br>
<a href="http://openid.net/mailman/listinfo/general" target="_blank">http://openid.net/mailman/listinfo/general</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span class=sg><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>-- </span></font></span><br>
<span class=sg>- Stephen Paul Weber, Amateur Writer </span><br>
<span class=sg><<a href="http://www.awriterz.org" target="_blank">http://www.awriterz.org</a>></span><br>
<br>
<span class=sg>MSN/GTalk/Jabber: <a href="mailto:singpolyma@gmail.com"
target="_blank">singpolyma@gmail.com</a></span><br>
<span class=sg>ICQ/AIM: 103332966</span><br>
<span class=sg>BLOG: <a href="http://singpolyma.net/" target="_blank">http://singpolyma.net/</a>
</span><br clear=all>
<br>
-- <br>
- Stephen Paul Weber, Amateur Writer<br>
<<a href="http://www.awriterz.org">http://www.awriterz.org</a>><br>
<br>
MSN/GTalk/Jabber: <a href="mailto:singpolyma@gmail.com">singpolyma@gmail.com </a><br>
ICQ/AIM: 103332966<br>
BLOG: <a href="http://singpolyma.net/">http://singpolyma.net/</a> <o:p></o:p></p>
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