We want you to know before you read any further that within the GRLF website, your userid is the only thing visible to all members, even with these new login connect features. At no time is your email visible so if you're on the down low, you can feel secure that you won't be tagged as 'gay' for our straight members or outted by inquisitive teammates.

If you wonder where your GLRF monies go, here is an example. We just installed two plugins for the membership access / glrf login code. The cost for both plugins was US$97. So a huge shout out to all of those GLRF members who either contribute or have upgraded their memberships to OnTheWater.

The first plugin is called Facebook Connect and it allows everyone who has a Facebook profile and who has a GLRF membership to 'connect once and forgetta about it' as Tony Soprano would say. Once you have built this Facebook-GLRF bridge, and you are logged in to Facebook, you can go to any part of the GLRF website that your membership status permits instantly and seamlessly. No more having to login to GLRF each and every time. That's pretty cool!

Want to build your Facebook-GLRF bridge right now? Just click this link and then click on the Facebook Connect button on the page. Let us know if you have any problems, please!!! Just comment here.

The second plugin is called OpenID and it seems to be a little more cumbersome. First, there is an existing issue of the icons not appearing when you click on a GLRF-protected page instead of going directly to http://www.glrf.info/amember/login.php (we have a trouble ticket in for that). Second, the OpenID does not take the Tony Soprano approach. Each and every time you want to login using one of the OpenID properties, you have to click on the button on the login page, and that takes you to the Google or Yahoo or AOL page where it asks if you agree to connect with GLRF and then ... you are logged in to GLRF. For some folks, this might still be of benefit because they don't have to remember their GLRF user id and password.

Please let us know what you think and if you think this is a benefit for GLRF members. We have 8 weeks to ask for a refund on the OpenID portion, which cost US$40, or the entire package.

Cheers,

The GLRF Team