Or, login with your IM address or mobile number, and use the IM / SMS message to kick-off the verification. Maybe even faster / more reliable than email.

With the OpenID-like stuff I worked on a few years ago, the idea was to translate your identifying URL into a Twitter-like verification step, e.g., you just enter your URL to login, and the verification step goes through web, email, IM or SMS, depending on what’s best for your own needs / concerns.