MySpace joins OpenID alliance

MySpace has signed up to the OpenID initiative

MySpace has signed up to the OpenID initiative aimed at allowing internet users to employ the same accounts and passwords across the web.

The idea is to make it easier for surfers to access more than 4,500 sites that accept OpenIDs by allowing them to use one set of log-in details for multiple sites.

MySpace users who want to log-on at another OpenID site will use their unique web address without the need to keep creating new accounts and remembering passwords.

The networking site joins an alliance that now includes AOL, Google Blogger, Yahoo and blogging services such as Vox, WordPress and LiveJournal.

"MySpace is committed to working with the open source community to allow users to widely control their digital identity," said Jim Benedetto, senior vice president of technology at MySpace.

"Joining OpenID marks the next step in MySpace's goal to allow our users to take their personal URL with them across the web."

MySpace also announced plans to allow users to quickly share profile data with two additional partners in the form of Flixster and Eventful.

The profile sharing initiative, called the Data Availability programme, includes Yahoo and eBay among its ranks and spares users the time and effort of creating a new profile each time they sign up to a new site.