At the start of 2012 we were requested by a client to change their Online Store login requirement from “Username” to “e-mail” so that it would be easier for the client to be able to sign in (or reset their password) without having to remember their username (no one ever forgets their e-mail!).

It was a timely request. I had been talking with Vicki about a new login process called “Social Login” or specifically the area we were starting to implement – “Facebook Connect” – that would allow a user to come to your website (or online store) and use their Facebook login information to log into the website and then be able to return with ease any time in the future with their Facebook login.

Fascinating stuff hey? (You can see why I am so excited about the upcoming Mt. Juliet Chamber’s Toast of Tennessee this Saturday when my whole world evolves around things like username and logins!)

But I have to say this is really a great shift that everyone will start to see shortly and benefit from. One of the many great things about the Joomla world that we work in is that it is always on the pulse of current technologies and this was no exception. After co-ercing Vicki into customize our first client’s site from the username to e-mail (which meant changing quite a few files and was messy) – we discovered a great Joomla extension called “Email as Usernamel” .

Combining this with the use of Facebook Connect we have quite quickly created a new standard for our client base that helps supports all aspects of user website interactions – posting comments, updating events, blogs, news or photos, buying product (and even coming back to buy more products –which every website owner loves).

And the icing on the cake with Social Login is that it is based on the profile that Facebook (or Google or Yahoo) forces you to setup – we get your name and photo (and other relevant demographic information) when you engage In our websites. Web visitors never forget their e-mail and in particular their Facebook password (Could you imagine?) – so instead of “Username Overload” we see a future of people flying in and out of their favorite websites with website owners getting the full value of client engagement!