OpenID is a maturing (not quite there yet) standard for decentralized exchange of identity-related assertions. In plain-speak, what that means is that OpenID is the lingo used by your friend Bob to assure Alice, whom you just met, that you are a reasonable guy and not some freaky psycho. Technology-wise, it's just another fish. What sets it apart from other competing 'languages' is that it is still moving and being watched. Believe it or not, that's a big deal since, if it doesn't move or is ignored, it's about as interesting as a dead corpse appearing in CSI episodes.
OpenID is a solution. Like many solutions, it replace a set of questions with another, the most prominent one being the one asked by Alice: Who the hell is Bob and why should I trust him? Well, I am still trying to kill them. The problem is there are too many ifs and buts flopping about on the floor still, many of which will, I am sure, make a nice cost-of-entry for some deserving players.
This reminds me, I want to take some lessons on how to sing the blues. I tried self-learning but it comes out rather like a crazy cat stuck in a drain pipe. Any blues singers in the SF peninsula who'll accept irresistible charm as payment? I have a problem with paying for anything that won't break down in 6 months.