Google Becomes OpenID Provider

Yesterday Google announced "limited access to an API for [Google] OpenID identity provider".

Quote:

The initial version of the API will use the OpenID 2.0 protocol to enable websites to validate the identity of a Google Account user, including the optional ability to request the user's e-mail address.

This is a big news despite some criticism of the implementation and the fact that Google did not reveal its plans on becoming an OpenID relying party (i.e. granting access to Google's services based on authentication of OpenID credentials issued by other parties).

Besides the obvious endorsement of OpenID initiative the move paves the road to a better OpenID.

OpenID 1.0 was clunky and didn't get much traction. Version 2.0 cleaned up much of the design mess and gained industry momentum. OpenID 2.0 user experience is still somewhat handicapped - one needs to enter their OpenID URI, which is just too technical.

Google streamlines OpenID user experience by requesting either an email or nothing (a click of a button brings you to Google authentication service login page). The conversion of an email address into an OpenID URI happens behind the scenes.

While this might not be OpenID standard-compliant behavior per se, it is the behavior the users want. As such it should be a part of the next version of OpenID standard. Hopefully Google will help to make it happen.