The problem with OpenId and StackOverflow

OpenID seems like a great idea. A way to authenticate yourself across the internet with the same identity. It's use is spreading, but I see a problem. The OpenId provider I use on StackOverflow is from AIM. AIM apparently just moved my profile to Bebo. The OpenId provider doesn't work now when I try to log in to StackOverflow. It may be because of the profile moving, maybe AOL turned off their OpenId support (maybe I was the only one using it), maybe StackOverflow's OpenId code is broken as Jeff Atwood rewrites it. Right now, there's no real way to know. If the OpenId provider goes away, what happens to my identity? There is no way to move my profile to another OpenId account on StackOverflow and even if there was, how would it authenticate me since the provider is gone?

The great thing about consuming a service someone else provides is that you don't have to support it.

The bad thing about consuming a service someone else provides is that you don't get to control it.

All I can say is that I will be mightily annoyed if I have to start over from scratch as a new user on StackOverflow.

Perhaps OpenId is not quite such a great idea.

UPDATE

You can change your OpenID provider if you go to your profile page and click 'New Login'. You will then be able to change your OpenId provider. This only works if you are already logged in. This still leaves us with a chicken and egg situation if you are not at a machine where you are already logged in.

I still think the reliance on other sites to log in is problematic and ends up reflecting poorly on StackOverflow, not on the the provider. Well, some blame on the provider, but I wasn't trying to use the provider, I was trying to use StackOverflow. I think Jeff and Joel will eventually provide their own OpenId provider just because of the hassle and lack of recourse if the provider goes away.