Monday, July 19, 2010

Facebook Sign In Credentials

There is a lot of hype over Facebook's like button.  It is a topic inspiring contemplation about the future of the web as a social mechanism. Anyone conscious realizes the web is only going to be more social as it moves forward. The web is the pinnacle of human communication and social media, and its growth, is a natural development when it is really thought about.

 However, I think there is something much more important than Facebook's like button going on. While it is true the like button sort of makes other web pages a pseudo extension of Facebook, being able to use Facebook to sign into other sites is really what makes me find value in having a Facebook account.

Just today I found myself reading an article on CBS News which tickled my need to comment. In the past, the want to comment did not necessarily transcend into actually taking the time. Comments inevitably require signing in and, if a new user to a site, signing up, filling out information, and verifying the process through an email.

Of course, gathering user information is very important for a web portal, but this process of collecting information is a barrier when the time to do it is such a nuisance surfers choose to skip it and go on to something else. The attention span for casual browsing has to be shorter than the average toddler.

I am finding myself more apt to stick around when it is easy to do. Using my Facebook sign in credentials is exactly that, easy to do. It is not a new concept, Open ID grew on this concept years ago, but Facebook has been in a unique position for quite some time now as the leading social site on the web.

I would like to hear feedback from others. Is the ability to sign into other websites with Facebook making it easier to be social? And if not through Facebook, has the ease of being social online been increased through other sign in credentials like Open ID?

What do you think?

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