When I first launched Interpr.it as a Google Chrome extension translation platform four years ago, I used Google OpenID to authenticate users, because:

a) I didn’t want people to have to create a new username and password.

and

b) It made sense that Chrome extension authors and translators would already have Google accounts.

Years passed, and Google announced that they’re shutting down their OpenID support. I spent three hours following their instructions for upgrading the replacement system (“Google+ Enterprise Connect+” or something like that), and not surprisingly, it was time wasted. The instructions didn’t match up with the UIs of the pages they were referencing, so it was an exercise in futility. I’ve noticed this to be typical of Google’s developer-facing offerings.

I made the decision to drop Google and switch to Mozilla’s Persona authentication system. Persona is like those “Sign in with Twitter/Facebook/Google” buttons, except instead of being tied to a social network, it’s tied to an email address — something everyone has. My site never has access to your password, and you don’t have to remember yet another username.

In stark contrast to my experience with Google’s new auth system, Persona took less than an hour to implement. Forty-five minutes passed from when I read the first line of documentation to the first time I successfully logged in to Interpr.it via Persona.

If you originally signed in to Interpr.it with your GMail address, you won’t notice much of a difference, since Persona automatically uses Google’s newest authentication system anyway.

Mozilla does so many things to enhance the Open Web, and Persona is no exception. Developers: use it. Users: enjoy it.