Search Engine Optimization News Blog

Microsoft recently announced that it would make use of the OpenID standard for its Windows Live users. Yahoo too openly declared its support to the OpenID initiative. Now it is Google’s turn to join the race however Google did this with its usual twist.

According to the OpenID technology, users can now create a universal identity using which they can sign into many websites. This will reduce the hassles involved in creating, maintaining, and remembering the multiple usernames and passwords. Using the OpenID technology you can now stop worrying about the multiple passwords, all that we need to do is to remember the universal OpenID.

The twist however brought by Google is to be seen in the access limitation for the API for OpenID identity provider. Through this limitation, you will be able to gain access into other websites using your Gmail login but other logins may not work with Google accounts or Google sites. Users criticize Google severely for placing this limitation, which basically defeats the purpose of OpenID and makes the OpenID technology one-way technology that serves Google. Google tries to keep its users loyal to itself and this is more than obvious. If you want to login to any of the OpenID websites you will be choosing the service provider through whom you will be signing in. If you use a Google ID, then you will be choosing the option, “Sign in with Google”. However, if you select Google then you will have to go via Google to get permission to sign into the website.

Though it wears the OpenID cover, in reality it is not 100% OpenID protocol while others wait for Google to change its policy. Irrespective of this limitation, Google has number of people teaming up with it and some of the familiar names include Plaxo, Zoho etc. Google is currently trying to integrate OAuth and also OpenID so that users can have an enhanced and safe experience with websites.

Another factor to be noted here is that Google is only using the OpenID concept but not the technology of OpenID. Google has its own standard. When a user clicks the Google option to sign into websites, they are moved to a Google’s page where the user gets to the confirmation page before accessing the OpenID site. Whereas, according to the original OpenID technology the user needs to supply a special URI to the sites they like to login to. At the backend the URI authentication takes place. If you use Google then will be entering your Gmail ID. Google pre-registers the OpenID partner IDs before they can login to any OpenID sites. So now the question is, is Google really joining the OpenID initiative? Though it leaves us with questions, Google is being criticized heavily by the online community that has been looking forward for Google’s move towards OpenID. Some feel that Google is keen in protecting the interests of decentralized authentication; however, we need more convincing arguments for this view.