SlashID enters the battle for universal identification on the Internet, and while it won't be as entertaining to watch as the war between HD DvD and BluRay, it will no doubt be interesting for those submerged to their ears in geek culture.
While OpenID operates by having the user key in the address of their OpenID server to receive authentication, SlashID operates closer to a password and profile manager. SlashID keeps up with information such as the user's email address, website, and contact information, and sends that information to the requesting website when the user inputs their SlashID username and password.
Both systems require the website to support the feature before it can be used, and this is their main obstacle in achieving universal acceptance.
The Benefits and Downside of SlashID
The major benefit of SlashID over OpenID is its ability to keep track of more information, which makes it more adaptable to websites. A user can even have multiple profiles, so if they want to use one email on some websites, and a second email on other websites, this can be easily accomplished.
The biggest downside of SlashID is its current dependence on a single website. While OpenID allows almost anyone with their own website to set up an OpenID server, SlashID is run from a centralized source. There are plans to decentralize the authentication process, but this will be dependent upon SlashID gaining some acceptance across the web.
Also, with OpenID 2.0 around the corner and promising increased ease-of-use, SlashID must contend with an opponent that has been around longer.
