AOL: What is OpenID?

Many companies have announced their support for OpenID over the last couple of weeks and months. One of those companies is AOL and their OpenID’s actually work already. I have not been the only one who has been very enthusiastic about their announcement back in February. Hey, 63 million new users is great.

Well, is it really that great? Yesterday the Frankfurter Rundschau – a respected German newspaper – published a rather balanced article on OpenID; by the way, it’s the first time a German newspaper is reporting about OpenID. In a comment on his blog Thomas Huhn, who was interviewed for the article, is mentioning that the author had contacted AOL Germany about OpenID. Well, AOL’s press department had no clue about it! Yes, they don’t know about it. Bummer!

Is there anyone besides the developers who knows about it at AOL anyway? Check any of AOL’s sites, OpenID is not mentioned on them. Try signing up for an AOL account; once again no hint that you have an OpenID now.

If OpenID is to succeed IdP’s – especially big ones like AOL – have to inform and educate their users about it. Nothing has been accomplished if those 63 million AOL users don’t know that they have an OpenID now. On the other hand who should inform them if the press department doesn’t know either? This is quite depressing actually.