Using email address as OpenID identifier

[Paul E. Jones]

Dick,

 

On this point, I really have to disagree.  Even I rarely enter a URL into a
web browser. Why bother when I know the web browser will figure it out for
me.  I don't want to type http:// or https:// :-)

 

More importantly, you and I are different than the average users.  I've
watched people struggle with getting addresses properly entered.  I've
watched people put "www" in front of every name entered into a web browser,
even when the site might be something else.  I've watched users enter \\
rather than //.  I've even no slash at all.

 

So, what I think is important is that users have something simple and
consistent.  As I noted to my message to Brad just a moment ago, it appears
that some sites will accept the e-mail address form and then figure out
where to direct the user.   I was pleasantly surprised.

 

Given that at least some of the sites out there now do operate this way, I
suspect it might just be a matter of time before all of them do.  But, I
think it's important that the user experience is consistent, as you say.  If
email IDs are going to be supported by some, through ought to be supported
by all - even if they do nothing but figure out which OP to direct the
browser to.

 

Paul

 

From: Dick Hardt [mailto:dick at sxip.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2008 11:45 PM
To: Brad Fitzpatrick
Cc: Paul E. Jones; specs at openid.net
Subject: Re: Using email address as OpenID identifier

 

 

On 1-Apr-08, at 7:37 PM, Brad Fitzpatrick wrote:


-- that said, with directed identity in OpenID 2.0, a user just needs to
type in "yahoo.com", or press the pretty yahoo button.  No typing.

 

I think this is why we don't need to use emails. People are very familiar
with typing in a URL in the address bar. The experience of entering an URL
and then being on that page is also really familiar. This is of course what
happens when you type the OP into the OpenID prompt.

 

Sorry for not being the least bit supportive of the email as identifier idea
-- there are just so many things that are bad about it and the good reason
(an identifier they already know) is provided per above with the advantage
of giving an expected experience.

 

I agree with Brad that we need to write a FAQ on this.

 

-- Dick

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