March 23rd 2007

We came, we saw, we OpenID'ed

Posted by Tom Drapeau

› tags: AOL, API, Netscape, OpenID

First off, a big thank you to all of the Netscape members that have submitted great feedback on the new My.Netscape site. We are evolving by leaps and bounds, and you are a big part of that evolution. Thanks!

One of the most consistent pieces of feedback that we have received thus far is that we should look into allowing people to log in using their AOL accounts that are currently used for Netscape/AOL mail, were once used for the previous My.Netscape site, and are used throughout the AOL network.

You sent this feedback, and we have been listening. In conjunction with AOL announcing its role as an OpenID provider, and spurred by the rapid pace by which OpenID is being adopted on the Web, on Monday, March 26th, Netscape will not only support signing in with your current AOL screen name, but also OpenID as a way of accessing Netscape.com and My.Netscape.

How does this all work?

In order to log in using your AOL screen name (or other OpenID), you will need to establish an account on Netscape.com. You can use an account already created, and associate an AOL screen name/OpenID with it, or create a new account, already associated with an AOL screen name/OpenID.

Figure 1 - New signup page, you will see options for signing up just to Netscape.com aka "Start from Scratch", signing up via AOL screen name, and signing up via OpenID.

You will notice that in introducing AOL Screen Name/OpenID sign in, that the registration form for Netscape accounts has been dramatically simplified. This simplification was a result from feedback gathered over the lifetime of the new Netscape.com site.

Why did I need to do all this, it seems just as complicated as before to sign up?

The usefulness of these new updates really comes into play after signup, when a member needs to log into Netscape.com or My.Netscape. This process is made even easier if you are already logged into the AOL network / OpenID provider. Take a look:

Figure 2 - Logging in via AOL Screen Name, not currently logged into the AOL network

Figure 3 - Logging in via AOL Screen Name while logged into the AOL network. If you are already logged into the AOL network, you can sign in just by entering your screen name!

Choosing to trust the AOL Screen Name / OpenID provider, indicated by "Remember this site" or "Trust this site" checkboxes/buttons on participating sites, can make login quite painless, even virtually automatic.

We at Netscape hope that these new changes help to ease the registering for new accounts, and also help give more sign in options to members. We are, as always, gathering feedback on making Netscape.com and My.Netscape better services, and hope that this contributes positively towards that goal.

related links ›

Comments

(Page 1)

4:55AMDmitry Shechtman

Although it's great to see a service become an OpenID consumer, I'm afraid the involved signup process misses the whole point of OpenID.

OpenID should obsolete all registrations, with OpenID Simple Registration giving you the user's email address you're clearly after. See phpbb-openid integration for example.

10:11AMTom Drapeau

Dmitry-

We don't mind that you plug your own product here :), although I would say that the imminent updates to Netscape signup make things much less involved. We are looking into OpenID personas right now. Congratulations on being at the forefront of OpenID!

Best,
Tom

10:44AMrgbuerger

Still messed up let us just sign on with what we always did,som of are older and do not want another headache

12:16PMSamy

May be AOL screen name log in and OpenID log in should be unfied, since AOL now supports OpenID ... http://openid.aol.com/samykovac is my OpenID url given by AOL.

Thank you.

5:09PMRichmond

I'm not an AOL guy, but this looks like it ought to be useful for many My Netscape users -- bravo on implementing it.

1:08PMWilliam Brown

I have used Netscape for years now I can't bcause I can not sign up.
I can not read the sign up page, so I need to know what each line is.

7:53AMJim Thorpe

I can not sign up

1:35PMJim Thorpe

I can not read the sign up page, so I need to know what each line is.

12:13AMDonna Bethell

Sorry to be unappreciative, but I so far see NO benefit to the new Netscape. I used to be able to see weather in 6 cities at a glance - no more. I had a stock portfolio and it's gone. I will have to reassemble it. Thanks a bunch. Now I can't even sign in thanks to all this OpenID jazz. I keep getting a message that my screen name etc. haven't been confirmed because I haven't responded to an email. I have never received an email from you. If there is something you can send, please do so. A phone number to talk to a human being would also be nice. Thank you. If you don't reply, I'm done with Netscape.com.

8:24AMBodyguards

We are not able to sign in the usual way - does this mean Goodbye?

We can not use our Netscape username and password - is this the end of the relationship for those who do not want the other sign in options

http://www.netscape.com/member/bodyguards

6:05PMQueen of Suburbia

I'm liking it...i'm always sgned in via my AOL account anyway, this saves me time and for a busy woman running a business anything that saves me time is a good thing!

5:45AMjames

www.timessquaregossip.com had a nice story last month on Bill Barker.

9:19PMMarc Milosevich

Well I also have been using Netscape for many years. Before this new update my mail loaded in a speedy time frame, and I am on cable. Now my mail takes forever to load. Anywhere else on the net, sites load very fast. What is the problem ? Please respond. Thanks.

10:37AMbonita larson

What the H>>>>> ever since I hit the prompt to try the new format, the screen is Jacked.
It would be wonderful if you gave a link to get to someone, who could give a straight answer on how to resolve this issue. I can't be the only one that has had a issue with this, if so I want those odds transfered to the next POWER BALL. HOW DO YOU GO BACK TO THE OLD FORMAT?

12:00AMSteven Linden

I've used Netscape for over six years since I first got a computer. I run my mail thru netscape. Now there is an error in Netscape.exe on my Netscape7.2, so I have trouble using it, it shuts down and Microsoft says there is no fix from Netscape. The new browser is slow and has too much junk to "protect me". I am afraid I am going to lose all my email and addresses if I uninstall my 7.2.
I liked the previous netscape, where everthing I ever needed and wanted was convenient and available. I now have to use Explorer to complete some online projects because Netscape doesn't work. I hate the idea I have to spend a whole day trying to figure out how to get all my stuff to a new browser because Netscape has totally blown it with me.