username or email id for login?
web-applications, web-services
Solution
same as What to use for login ID?. The accepted answer there is email address.
and some further reading:
- What are the pros and cons of using an email address as a user id?
- What are the pros and cons of using an email as a username?
Problem
For a web application, which is the better option? Usernames has to rely on an email for the person to recall later. Conversely, it's rare for a user to use multiple usernames for a particular web application. Also, sending details back to the user's email gives a certain level of security. Email on the other hand has additional related problems - Most users have multiple email ids and invariably multiple accounts get created. Merging those accounts become a huge headache. Conversely, using an email as a login identifier has the advantage of external authentication via OpenID. What would you suggest?