How to submit?

XAuth.org – Like Facebook Connect For Other Networks

XAuth.orgXAuth is a recently-launched initiative that aims to bring the versatility of Facebook Connect to every other social network on the WWW. This initiative is promoted by a consortium of companies that includes Google, Yahoo and MySpace, and which is led by Meebo.

In practice, this new system will let website owners discover which social networks a visitor frequents most often, and invite him to log in and share the content he comes across with his acquaintances.

For the user, this lets him have a notably more personalized experience when he first lands on a site. He will be capable of sharing content with those he is friends with in a breeze. For webmasters, they are getting around the inherent limitations of the cookie system – at least provisionally. A time will obviously come when the sites we visit will mine and use this information by default themselves.

In the end, nobody could argue that Facebook is too powerful. And too much power ends up distorting everything. This initiative gives other networks something of a chance to fight back and take part of the sharing of information in ways that were previously exclusive to Facebook.

I do believe that competition is the best thing that can happen to anything – it keeps everybody sharp. I honestly think a development like XAuth can but benefit everybody in the long run.

XAuth.org In Their Own Words

“XAuth is an open platform for extending authenticated user services across the web.

Participating services generate a browser token for each of their users. Publishers can then recognize when site visitors are logged in to those online services and present them with meaningful, relevant options.

Users can choose to authenticate directly from the publisher site and use the service to share, interact with friends, or participate in the site’s community. The XAuth Token can be anything, so services have the flexibility to define whatever level of access they choose.”

Why XAuth.org It Might Be A Killer

Anything that turns the WWW into something more personalized is definitely welcome, specially if it is this universal.

Some Questions About XAuth.org

Will this prevail over Facebook? Or will it be the other way around? XAuth.org

Vote on recent startup submissions:

Monthly Sponsors

More Stories