Google (GOOG) software developer Tim Bray has posted a cryptic entry on his personal blog hinting that Google may be working on new technology that lets users avoid having to sign up for and log into multiple websites across the Internet. Bray says that his job at Google right now “is mostly about reducing that pain” of logging into websites and adds that the company’s long-term goal is to make sure logging in either “gets simpler” or “vanishes” all together.
Bray says that this work is important because websites that have extensive log-in processes are inherently less likely to generate clicks because users don’t want to go through the hassle of creating and remembering yet another complex password. In fact, Bray says that he’s often heard from users who say that they “found something good on a random site ” but didn’t click on it because “I’d have to log in, and either remember my stupid password or fight through the stupid sign-up page.”
