Last night I rationalised a number of my passwords for various sites and tools that I use. As I did that I began listing all of the sites that I have registered with and the number exceeded 25. I have various mental tricks for remembering passwords but there are still some odd passwords that do not fit that scheme. How many usernames and passwords do you have to juggle? There are software tools that allow you to manage passwords but what if you are on the hop and you do not have access to the tools?

Is OpenID the solution? I have been keeping an eye on OpenID. What is OpenId? I quote from Wikipedia: ”OpenID is a decentralized single sign-on system. Using OpenID-enabled sites, web users do not need to remember traditional authentication tokens such as username and password. Instead, they only need to be previously registered on a website with an OpenID “identity provider” (IdP).” It seems like a good idea yet critics argue that the system may be vulnerable to phishing attacks not unlike those used by criminals to trick you into submitting your banking details.

A new web site, Spread OpenId has just launched which provides comparative reviews of OpenID providers and acts as a starting point for individuals curious about OpenID. The creators of OpenID, Carsten Potter and Thomas Huhn, have just posted their first welcoming post on their site. They have also set up a OpenID comparative page and a glossary page.