Usernames vs. Passwords

I just had a great idea. How about a website where your username is your password and your password is your username, and your password is public but your username is private? That would probably be more secure than the traditional hidden-password approach, because no one would be able to log in to your account, because no one would know your username but you!

I’m so brilliant…

My Google Favicon Design

I was reading this article about Google’s favicon revisions. I don’t like the new lowercase “g”; the old capital one was better and more distinctive. But Google doesn’t like the new icon either, and is accepting submissions, which ends on the 2008-06-20. I always liked the Google logo with the colored balls, but I don’t see any trace of it in their current ideas. so I made and submitted my own:

Google colored balls favicon by Richard X. Thripp

Marissa and Micheal complain that Google has no specific logo, so only their name or a derivative of it will do. Why can’t this be their logo? It’s already on Google Earth (at the bottom-left). Seems like a good favicon idea to me. The speckled green and red bars frame the balls, representing the Google spirit of courage and innovation.

If it wins, here’s what my Firefox address bar will be looking like in a few weeks:

Example of the Google favicon by Richard X. Thripp

And this will be the new Google browsing experience:

Example 2 of the Google favicon by Richard X. Thripp

Beautiful, no? I like it a lot better than what we have now:

Interim Google favicon

The problem with the small g, is that it doesn’t look like the home page’s logo, the color doesn’t match, it’s indistinct, it’s too formal, it’s no fun, it isn’t memorable, it’s confusing, and it isn’t Google. I’m hoping my icon is Google. If only they’ll listen.