New software, test site, OpenProfile

I’ve just put a new Ruby On Rails application up for testing at:

http://rtest.openprofile.net

Open Profile can be used as a login and user profile module for any Ruby
On Rails application.

Its purpose is to minimize the hassle of joining new web forums (or
anything else on the web that requires you to enter a user name, email
addres, password twice, etc.). If it’s widely adopted, OpenProfile can
reduce this whole process to entering a single URL (and, as required,
your OpenID server password).

It uses the OpenID protocol for establishing user identity. If the
user’s OpenID URL is successfuly verified, it presents a form in which
he can enter his profile information. He can type this information in
manually, or upload a vCard from which it will be extracted
automatically. The user can upload a photo or other graphic to be
associated with his profile.

The OpenID URL the user gives may point to a web page that has an hcard
containing his profile information, in addition to the links to his
OpenID server and delegate. Open Profile will automatically retrieve
this hcard when it authenticates a new user, and will present it as the
default information for the “edit profile” operation.

Optionally, the user can add a “Profile Reference” when he edits his
profile information. This is a single word to be used to retrieve his
profile by name. He can then give, for example,
rtest.openprofile.net/profile/someword” as an OpenID URL to be used to
log into another system.

Open Profile will produce a web page that contains the data required for
the OpenID server, along with an hcard containing his profile
information. If the other system uses Open Profile, it will
automatically acquire his profile information in the process of
authenticating him.

After a bit of testing and cleanup, I’ll package OpenProfile up and put
it on RubyForge, so everyone can play:-)

–Al Evans

Al Evans wrote:

After a bit of testing and cleanup, I’ll package OpenProfile up and put
it on RubyForge, so everyone can play:-)

And some bug-fixing…

Sorry about that. It worked great until everybody started testing it!

Thanks for not saying nasty things about it all day.

I think it’s OK now. I’ve emptied the database, so if you tried to log
in earlier, please try it again!

http://rtest.openprofile.net

–Al Evans

Al Evans wrote:

http://rtest.openprofile.net

Grrrr.

Let’s try http://rtest.openprofile.net/

–Al Evans

Al Evans wrote:

Let’s try http://rtest.openprofile.net/

OK, how about http://rtest.openprofile.net

–Al Evans