On the Mic with Mike

So.......here it goes. My first "techie" post.

Since the beginning of this blog, I have received a few questions about posting comments to my blog. In most cases, the main inquiry was related to having an ID with which to post the comments. So, I figured that it may be helpful to create a quick post to outline a few of the options for those who may want to create an ID.

Option 1: Google
Blogger (the site I use to host my blog) is affiliated with Google. As such, any Google ID already has the ability to post comments or even start their own blog on Blogger. In addition to providing a very usable email service, Google accounts also have many other advantages such as Google Talk, Google Apps, and Google Reader. Overall, Google has become a great source for cutting edge collaboration tools and provides a lot of bang for the buck. The only downside to using this option is that not all blogs accept a Google account.

Option 2: OpenID
OpenID is an evolving architecture that is intended to provide a single username and password for multiple web sites. As this technology gains an increasing acceptance, the intent could ultimately be to use an OpenID account to access everything from email to online banking. Most OpenID providers also offer the ability to store various bits of personal information such as your street address, full name, and email address. When using an the OpenID at certain sites, this information can automatically be populated into the appropriate fields on the web page. I have just begun to use an OpenID, so I haven't experimented with all of the features yet, but so far it has fulfilled it's primary purpose of allowing me to post to multiple blog providers. Setting up an OpenID is a little more involved than a Google account, but it is still relatively straightforward. As OpenID is an open architecture, there are quite a few sites that offer the service. I chose Verisign Labs, as they are a major player in the internet security market, and the basic account setup was pretty simple. But, as I wanted to push the envelope of what I could accomplish with this account, I have spent a few extra hours experimenting with it's capabilities.

Consensus:
Based on it's own merits, I recommend a Google account for anyone. If you plan on only posting/commenting on Blogger, then a Google account is a perfect fit. If you plan to interact on multiple blogging sites or if you are a bit of a geek that enjoys riding the wave of up-and-coming technology, then an OpenID is definitely worth a look.


Edited for grammatical typo.
02-24-2008 11:02 PM
MDS