I began looking into OpenID today for the first time. The concept seems noble, but what does it really provide to us? Do we need this kind of infrastructure?

It's basically allowing you to have some control over your own ID card on the internet. It can get you into websites. Maybe reduce the number of passwords you need to remember.

To me, those benefits fall more into the "convenience" category than they do the "privacy protection" category. What web citizens really need is a system that allows them to manage the rights of the personal information they have spread over the internet. This is especially important when websites are profiting from revenue streams built on user-submitted content.

I believe it's coming, as creative groups who respect and fairly share revenue with their user communities begin to thrive in numbers. There are many examples on the net already.

I just wonder, will an OpenID will be your ticket into the show?