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Update Aug 27, 2020

The migrations have been executed. I've just tested that I can login into my old account via the new login method!

In line with our efforts to discontinue support for OpenID, we're changing how you login on the Stack Exchange Data Explorer.

While making global login available on SEDE would be a big technical undertaking, it will still be possible for you to log in using the same email/password credential you use on the SE network, and your login flow will be mostly the same — to do this, we're creating an app on Stack Apps that will allow SEDE to authenticate SE users.

The "Log in using Stack Exchange" option will still be available in the log in page:

Image showing the login page to SEDE, with a hand-drawn circle around the "Log in using Stack Exchange" option

But where you'd previously be directed to https://openid.stackexchange.com/ and see this:

Image showing the login page to https://openid.stackexchange.com/, which will be deprecated

You'll now be prompted to log in to Stack Overflow instead, and then be shown a one time approval of the SEDE application on SO:

Image showing the login page to Stack Overflow, with the email/password option
Image showing a prompt that reads "Stack Exchange Data Explorer is requesting permission to: identify your account" with "approve" and "reject" as options

Currently the openid.stackexchange.com claims on SEDE map to:

  • 5718 SEDE users, that have SE accounts, out of which
    1. 5473 accounts associated with a SO profile
    2. 245 accounts without a SO profile
  • 348 SEDE users, who don’t have a SE account at all

This means that the only change for the majority of users affected will notice will be that one time approval prompt. The Q&A accounts that don't have a SO profile, will be required to join SO, and approve the application.

For the users who don't have an SE account, we will create an artificial one, so that when/if they ever log in with their old email/password credential to SEDE, they will be asked to join SO and approve the SEDE application. So for them, the process will be effectively the same as for the users in the group above.

If you wanna have a look at the PR where this is being worked on on GitHub, you can have a look here.

This should be relatively straightforward, but feel free to leave any questions or concerns below.

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  • 14
    I want to upvote this for the effort and organisation to fix Data.SE login (which is genuinely appreciated), and downvote it for again marginalising non-SO users of the network. So overall no vote from me. Up to now I never had an account on Data.SE because of the separate login system; now I'll continue to not have one because I'm not an SO user. I assume anonymous running of queries will still be possible?
    – Rand al'Thor
    Aug 24, 2020 at 13:57
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    @Randal'Thor unfortuantely the SO profile being created is a side effect of how the stackapps / api oauth flow works. Anything other than the button highlighted with the red freehand circle on picture 1. will remain the same (anon running of queries etc)
    – m0sa StaffMod
    Aug 24, 2020 at 14:18
  • 3
    This change was a long time coming and it pays down a very significant and possibly "dangerous" technical debt, :+1: I do want to echo the sentiment expressed by Rand though, an SE account is not the same as an SO account and if you require an SO account for SEDE that should be reflected in the login button wording
    – Vogel612's Shadow
    Aug 24, 2020 at 17:21
  • @Randal'Thor couldn't you in theory create a "burner" SO account. In that way you don't need to link it to your SE profile
    – Luuklag
    Aug 24, 2020 at 18:50
  • Is there any definitive timeline for when this is going to take place?
    – Luuklag
    Aug 25, 2020 at 11:33
  • @Luuklag presumably tomorrow, on Aug 27th
    – m0sa StaffMod
    Aug 26, 2020 at 14:44
  • How do I access my user profile which I used to login using "Stack Exchange"?
    – Pandya
    Feb 21, 2021 at 6:57

1 Answer 1

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— The change-over only affects accounts that use have https://openid.stackexchange.com/ OpenID accounts, all other OpenID URLs are left untouched. My main account has been updated to use the Stack Exchange OpenID provider directly without delegation.

(Of course, any custom OpenID delegation URL that defers to https://openid.stackexchange.com/openid/provider is ultimately doomed, but that day is not here yet, and I managed to update my account to no longer use my custom delegation URL).

I have two accounts. Both are served by the Stack Exchange OpenId server.

For both these accounts I use my Stack Overflow credentials.

What will happen when these are migrated? I really would not want to lose my primary account, here. Presumably I can just continue to ignore jon-doe7547 and my custom OpenID will just result in a prompt to authorise the StackApp Oath2 setup without tripping over the other account?

* I solved the 'change the associated OpenID account' puzzle by creating a new OpenID delegation for 'jon.doe7547' at https://openid.zopatista.com/jon-doe7547/, changing that account to use that OpenID, then changing my main account to use the Stack Exchange OpenID. So now my main account will be changed over to the Stacks App authentication, the other one can bit-rot. I've removed the delegation URL again.

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    related 1, 2, 3, 4 and there are more that my search fu won't find now
    – rene
    Aug 25, 2020 at 6:05
  • The delegated login is a different path that we'll have to address separately. There are ~400 SEDE openid claims with custom domains. You'll still be able enter that custom URL into the text field in picture 1. SEDE has merging functionality, so if you want, a SEDE admin can merge your 2 users.
    – m0sa StaffMod
    Aug 25, 2020 at 9:08
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    @m0sa I’d love to be rid of the OpenID delegation. I’ll have to because I’m running out of providers to delegate to, and SEDE is the only place left I need it for :-D Someone please merge these accounts in a way that I end up with a Stack Exchange login or a way to update my login myself!
    – Martijn Pieters
    Aug 25, 2020 at 9:14
  • @m0sa: Actually, I hit upon a new idea that resolved the 'change to the Stack Exchange openid' path being blocked by the second account: I created a new OpenID delegation page for that account (https://openid.zopatista.com/jon-doe7547/, same delegation as my other account), updated the openid for that account, then was free to change my primary account over to the Stack Exchange ID. Not sure why I didn't think of that before..
    – Martijn Pieters
    Aug 25, 2020 at 9:23
  • @m0sa: but thanks, you did answer the issue: the change-over only affects accounts that use OpenID urls prefixed with http://openid.stackexchange.com/user/, all other OpenID URLs are unaffected.
    – Martijn Pieters
    Aug 25, 2020 at 9:29

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