User @ domain.tld as ID (Once again)

[Mike Hearn]

On Wed, 02 Nov 2005 22:49:28 -0800, Brad Fitzpatrick wrote:
> Anybody care to write up a FAQ on the Wiki?

I would, in fact I was wondering why the Wiki didn't mention it as it's
such an obvious question, but so far I'm not sure what the actual answer
is.

Answers/criticisms so far seem to include:

* "OpenID is based on URLs, therefore using email addresses makes no sense"

  This isn't an answer. It's circular logic and convinces no-one.

* "Even with a mapping function, it won't work for everybody"

  Why not? If you can use both email address and URL I don't see why it 
  wouldn't

* "Centralisation is evil"

  Yes, but so is lack of backwards compatibility which is all it'd be used
  for. And OpenID already relies upon a central authority to provide DNS
  services anyway.

* "People aren't comfortable with email addresses anyway"

  This appears to be wild speculation. How do we know they aren't?
  Email addresses are ubiquitous anyway, so even if they aren't
  ideal it's a bit late now. Sites that require their own usernames
  seem to be more an artifact of culture than anything else, ie "everybody
  does it that way, so that's what I'll do too". I personally hate having
  to dream up magic usernames that are somehow always taken for every site
  I visit especially given that most sites require an email address
  anyway. Why not just use that as my username dammit?!

* "Why bother?"

  The rationale was already stated.

* "People without a homepage shouldn't use OpenID"

  Huh?! This one seems nonsensical to me.

* "Magic URLS are bad"
   
  Why?

And so on .... why don't you, the creator, state the reason and THEN we
can put your opinion on the wiki?

thanks -mike