OpenID is a win-win for blog comments. It’s a win for the comment author, since it means less info to type. It’s a win for the blog owner, since it means the comments have a “real” identity behind them. There are some great OpenID providers out there (I’m a big fan of Vidoop).

I’m going to take a bit of a stand. Effective immediately, I will no longer comment on tech blogs that don’t support OpenID for comment authentication. Google offers it as a Blogger option. It’s available as a super-easy-to-install WordPress plugin. Movable Type has it as a built-in feature. If you’re using another lesser-known system, rally the troops for OpenID support.

And I’ll put my time where my mouth is: I’ll help you. If you follow those links above, and can’t figure it out, or you try it and it doesn’t work. I’ll help. Send me an e-mail. I want you to have OpenID.

I realize I’m just one (mostly insignificant) guy. And the reality is that if I stop commenting on some blogs, nobody will notice. But somewhere in my little fantasy world, this move might help spread OpenID adoption, and as Martha says, that’s a Good Thing™.

[tags]openid, wordpress, blogger, movabletype, vidoop[/tags]