XAuth – like Robin if oAuth is Batman?
xAuth is Robin if oAuth is Batman. From the xAuth.org web site, xAuth is described as:
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.
oAuth by itself is a great service. With the addition of xAuth it’s now possible to properly guide the user to the correct authentication solution or the preferred one. For example if your social application make use of both pictures and status updates Facebook might be preferred over Twitter.
I’m excited to see these types of services coming online. It makes data portability simple for the user. I hope it catches on as fast as oAuth and I hope the big players jump on board quickly. Here’s to open standards that tie user’s data together and make the web a more interactive and interesting place.
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