I must be stupid, because all the articles I’ve seen on OpenID in ASP.NET have simply confused me on the issue. I’m pretty sure I understand the concepts involved here, I’m just a little fuzzy on how things look on the back end side of things.
So a new user comes to my website and wants to create an account. Here comes the flood of questions:
- Is the first step here to have him pick which openID provider he will use to sign in?
- Do I prompt him for a user name on my system?
- Do I need to tie him to the same openID provider each time he returns, or can he select a new provider each time?
- What does the database look like here? Do I have his username in a table and that is linked to an openID provider?
- What if the user doesn’t have an OpenID account? Should I allow him to create a traditional account on my end, then expose myself as an OpenID provider?
What am I missing here? I’m usually pretty bright, but this area has been like kryptonite to Superman for my developer smarts. Thanks in advance!
Adam
This page is a step-by-step tutorial on implementing OpenId on a web site. I believe it will answer all your questions about the mechanics of adding it.
A Recipe for OpenID-Enabling Your Site
If the user doesn’t have an OpenId I would just allow them to register ‘normally’, storing their credentials for local use. There is no need to add the extra complexity of becoming an OpenID provider unless you have a business case for that.