IronWil Blog » Opinions

Online Authentication

Iron Wil — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 14:47:17 +0000

This is a huge subject that covers many aspects. We have Facebook pushing Facebook Connect, we have Open Authentication, a small group looking at delivering a distributed ID system, and browsers taking a crack at possible ways to deliver our online identities. There are opinions all over the map from guys like Jason Calacanis, Leo Laporte, and Steve Gibson.

I am not sure what the answer is; but I have to admit that I like Diaspora and am interested in what they end up doing. They received massive amounts of cash to deliver a product they came up with. Each person will hold their own ID and control how it is used. Mozilla has presented Thirdparty and Fingerprinting. Jason Calacanis has also ranted his displeasure on Facebook‘s Privacy while Leo Laporte has walked away from Facebook because the Privacy Policy has changed several times.

Facebook has now reached 500 Million daily users and is showing very little slowdown. Twitter is great for short messages and sharing right now news. Google is now working on a not so secret project titled ‘Google Me‘ a potential competitor to Facebook. Then we have Open Authentication or Open ID which is designed to deliver single sign on across the web; something that Microsoft tried to deliver years ago with Passport. There is such confusion over what the best solution will be.

Diaspora seems to bring the best ideas together by allowing the users to own the server, software, and information. It provides a single sign on that is controlled by the user.

What should the solution be?

That is a really good question. One, I have been considering for weeks, which is obvious since I am just getting this article finished & posted. I think that the best solution will allow for cross platform compatibility and easy user deployment. Software that can be installed similar to WordPress or Joomla. Plug-ins to enable additional features and content or games and video. It should be easy to update and take care of so that the average web user can manage their account and software. I imagine that several hosting companies, like DreamHost and SquareSpace, will provide managed installs. I hope that it will interface with Facebook and Twitter and several other services. It would make sense to me, that is always the hitch, that in order to compete and over take the competition; it will have to be very open and powerful. It would also need to provide Open Authentication [Open ID] like access to websites and deliver single sign-on services to a multitude of sites and services.

When it happens … the next social network evolution will change the way we communicate and interact. It will also change who owns the data and where that data resides. My personal hope is that projects like Diaspora will finally overcome the larger social juggernauts.

iron wil

New TWiT NetCasts – 2009.12.14

Iron Wil — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:50:47 +0000

TWiT 224: An Enormous Package You’ll Never Use

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Baratunde Thurston, Heather Gold, and John C. Dvorak

Farmville is bigger than Twitter, behind the Crunchpad drama, and is a living room on wheels in your future?

Show Notes

MacBreak Weekly 170: The Bourne Return

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Scott Bourne, and Andy Ihnatko

Apple buys Lala, AT&T sucks, but there’s an app for that, and the new Mac Pros are here…

Show Notes

Security Now 226: Listener Feedback 81

Hosts: Steve Gibson with Leo Laporte

Digital voting goes open source, patch Tuesday news, and Steve answers your questions.

Show Notes

Windows Weekly 134: Prestige Mode

Hosts: Paul Thurrott and Leo Laporte

Can you trust Internet Explorer, the best tech gifts of the year, and Paul Levels up.

Show Notes

TWiG #20: Google Goggles, cloud data portability, EtherPad, Google News, and more.

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Gina Trapani, Jeff Jarvis, and Brian Fitzpatrick

Google Goggles, cloud data portability, EtherPad, Google News, and more.

Show notes

iron wil

New TWiT NetCasts – 2009.10.26

Iron Wil — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:17:18 +0000

TWiT 217: The A.I. Spy Club

Hosts: Leo Laporte, John C. Dvorak, Jim Louderback, David Spark, and Baratunde Thurston

Twitter lists, Google ramps up, tech journalism ethics, Windows 7, TSA vs. mommy blogger, and more.

Show Notes

MacBreak Weekly 163: Stroke The Mouse

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Alex Lindsay, and Andy Ihnatko

The team covers Apple’s release of new iMacs, Mac Minis, a new mouse, and more.

Show Notes

Security Now 219: Browser Scripting

Hosts: Steve Gibson with Leo Laporte

Why patches are impossible, the Total (In)security virus, and why writing software shouldn’t be too easy.

Show Notes

Windows Weekly 127: Hasta La Vista Baby

Hosts: Paul Thurrott and Leo LaporteWindows 7 is here and its party time at the TWiT cottage.

Windows 7 is here and its party time at the TWiT cottage.

Show Notes

This Week In Google 13: This Is The Droid You’re Looking For

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Gina Trapani, Jeff Jarvis, and Danny Sullivan

Danny Sullivan from Search Engine Land joins us to talk about Google’s social search, Jeff Jarvis invents Howard Stern 3.0, and Gina Trapani sorts by magic.

Show Notes

iron wil