or, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Fear and Loathing at a Public Library Reference Desk



Google and iDentity?

   January 18th, 2007

Google Checkout logo I just happened to see a promotion on the Google homepage for "Google Checkout" (more info/tour). I hadn't heard of it yet - but I seldom do.

Anyway, it's a "shopping account" people sign up for. So, when you are making an online purchase at a participating online retailer, you sign in using your Google Checkout account, rather than having to set up an account with that store.

Which is great in a convenience soft of way, having to just remember one account's login and password. But of course I wonder about security and privacy.
I think this is very similar to what Microsoft was trying to do with Passport (now Windows Live ID?). So the idea really isn't new, but I do think people would be more willing to trust Google (with their financial information and purchase history) than Microsoft (but not me).

This is also similar to Library Elf's one-login-to-monitor-multiple-accounts idea, and Lichen has also talked about it before. I wonder, though, if Google, being as book-focused as they are, would be willing to open this program up to non-retail entities - like libraries.

account, accounts, google checkout, libraries, library, logins, online identity




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2 Responses to “Google and iDentity?”

  1. Kate Says:

    Check out the Top 10 Big Brother Companies and look at who made number 2. 🙂

    I was also rather surprised by number 9.

  2. herzogbr Says:

    Kate, thanks for the link. People call me paranoid, but gmail and Google’s user databases are just creepy.

    And yeah – LexisNexis? Perhaps libraries need to start including disclaimers when patrons link to third-party database vendors.