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authenticationregistrationuser-registration

Advantages/disadvantages to user registration and login methods

Take the following three user registration/login methods (or add your own):

  • with OpenID
  • with Email Address + Password (not OpenID)
  • with Username + Password

What are the advantages and disadvantages to each for a general internet audience (i.e., not a super tech-savvy audience of Stack Overflow)?

Solution

  • You should accept a both login by email address and by username. A user may forget one but not the other.

    As for OpenID--- nobody's gonna have a clue what that means. But you could say "log in with your Google Account" - but the word OpenID should not be mentioned in any significant way.

    Also, some people are gonna think you are asking for all their Google Account information. That is what I thought at first with Stack Overflow. And I thought I was tech savvy!