OK, so I'm assuming that by now, you'll have read about the ReadWriteWeb Facebook Login shenanigans that occurred when a ReadWriteWeb article about facebook logins bubbled to the top of the google.com search for "facebook login".

At first, I assumed that it was a mass co-ordinated prank, and somewhere like 4chan was trying to wind up the rest of the web. Then, I thought that there really, truly, honestly were people out there who were so damn stupid they shouldn't be allowed on the Internests.

Having thought about it some more, I'm thinking that maybe these people aren't (quite) as dumb as I assumed they were. I think this problem demonstrates a pretty fundamental UX/usability problem, with something that Facebook themselves have created; Facebook Connect, in particular, the Facebook Connect Login Buttons, which work in a similar way to OpenID.

Once you've scrolled past the ReadWriteWeb article (after all, who actually reads text on a site index/login page when you're looking to enter your username and password as quickly as possible and tend to your Farmville turnips), you get to the comment section, where you are presented with the following:

[caption id="attachment_405" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="ReadWriteWeb Comments Form (click for bigger)"]ReadWriteWeb Comments Form[/caption]

Hang on a sec, does that say "Sign in with: [Facebook]" ? I think it does.

So no, I'm not (entirely) defending any people who weren't on a wind up, and genuinely did get confused, but perhaps web designers/developers/copywriters should think a little bit more carefully when they add features like Facebook Connect? As the web becomes more and more ubiquitous, it is going to be used by more folks who haven't grown up with the Internet and it's strange new ways, so yes, things are going to need to be dumbed down made easier.