Your Grandmother’s OpenID: URL vs. Email

One usability issue that comes up in OpenID discussions is that of URL as identifier, noting that perhaps e-mail would be a better option, because not everyone has a “personal” URL. Two quick thoughts:

• There was a time when most folks didn’t have an email address, either.
• Most of the folks who seem to be the “target audience” for email as identifier probably don’t even have a custom/personal email, but rather they’re using something like bobsmith47@hotmail.com. That’s hardly any more personal or identifiable than a URL tied to one of the big social networks.