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Facebook Launches Developer API
andrewman327 writes "The popular college social networking site Facebook recently unveiled an API open to developers. Programmers can utilize data from profiles, friends, photos, and events. An early example is FaceBank, which allows students to keep track of how much money they have lent their friends. The appeal of this platform will be slightly limited, however, as both developers and users must be members of Facebook. Facebook is the 60th most popular website for American websurfers and recently allowed high school students and employees of certain companies to join."
By releasing the API, people can add features to facebook without requiring any additional facebook developer resources.
Like the Piggy Bank. Facebook could have implemented this... or it could have let millions of adoring fans write it for them. There are a few ideas floating around the developer network. Imagine if Facebook had X ability. Well now it can be done.
Just like MySpace and Blogging... the people make the content. Look at all the great google maps api applications. Google spent 0 amount of time making those. The released the API and people wrote it for them.
Good question. There are a few valid uses, but from the look of it, it appears that the API's crippled such to prevent most of them.
After briefly glancing at the documentation, it looks like this is only good for pulling information from facebook, but not actually being able to make changes or add information.
Granted, this makes it a bit more secure and less prone to spam, but still.... an interface that would allow me to programatically upload photos or create events would be great.
Kudos to the facebook guys for making a social networking site that's actually usable.
-- If you try to fail and succeed, which have you done? - Uli's moose
Also, unlike MySpace, Facebook doesn't give me the urge to go out and stab people for making me try to look at their attempts to write HTML.
Whoever thought it was a good idea to let regular people design their own webpages needs to be put in front of a monitor, Clockwork Orange-style, and made to look at the results of their handiwork, forever.
Facebook does it right: you enter your information into little text blocks, and it generates the page. It's easy to search and link, because everything's categorized, and it doesn't encourage homicide.
"Ladies and gentlemen, my killbot features Lotus Notes and a machine gun. It is the finest available."