AboutOpenID

What is OpenID?

OpenID is an emerging standard used to eliminate the need for multiple usernames across different websites, thus simplifying the user's online experience.

A URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) is a compact string of characters used to identify a name or a resource. A URL is a URI. For example, http://icannwiki.org is a URI that identifies ICANNWiki's home page. http:// indicates the page can be reached via the Internet. Similarly, a Uniform Resource Number (URN) is a URI that identifies a resource. While the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) allows one to know of, or identifies a book, it does not suggest its location.

OpenID is similar in that you, the user, can have your own OpenID that identifies you. It does not say where you are physically located, but establishes your identity. While an OpenID is about you, the information specific to your OpenID resides with a single OpenID provider. The standard is such that you do have the option of retaining your OpenID, but having your OpenID supported by a different OpenID provider. In other words, OpenIDs allow for portability among OpenID providers.

As mentioned earlier, OpenID is an emerging standard. There are various specifications on the syntax of an OpenID as well as the methods used for its security. So within the OpenID standard you have the OpenID specification and the iNames specification.

iNames uses a stronger URN, or i-number creation and maintenance process so when an iName is created for you, the associated number that ties your identity to an iName remains yours. Even if the number expires or is sold, the number will never be reused for the creation of another iName.

i-numbers are a new type of Internet identifier designed to solve the problem of how any resource can have a persistent identity that never changes even when the resource moves or changes its human-friendly name. But one of the other key factors of an i-number is i-numbers are persistent. In other words, once they are assigned to a resource, they are never reassigned. By contrast, IP addresses are constantly reassigned, i.e., your computer may have a different IP address every time it connects to the Internet.

The structure of an iName is simple.

=yourname is the structure for your own specific iName.

@community*member is the structure used when identifying specific members of an identified community.

ICANNWiki, through 1id and Neustar, can provide you with an ICANNWiki community iName. My community name is, @ICANNWiki*ChuckKisselburg indicating that Chuck Kisselburg is a member of the ICANNWiki "community".

Being that an iName is part of the OpenID standard, I can use my ICANNWiki community iName to log into any site that supports an OpenID login.

While OpenID is still in the adoption phase, it is becoming more and more popular as large organizations like AOL, Microsoft, Sun, Novell, Orange (France Telecom), to name a few, begin to accept and provide OpenIDs. Today it is estimated that there are over 160 million OpenID enabled URIs with nearly 10,000 sites supporting OpenID logins.