Google's Plans for a Social API

NewsCloud writes "After tonight's Breaking Open Facebook with Free Open Source Software, TechCrunch reports Google plans to announce an open API for social networking tomorrow. "OpenSocial is a set of three common APIs, defined by Google with input from partners, that allow developers to access core functions and information at social networks: 1) Profile Information (user data) 2) Friends Information (social graph) and 3) Activities (things that happen, News Feed type stuff)" Says Om Malik: "OpenSocial attacks Facebook where it is the weakest (and the strongest): its quintessential closed nature...Even if you take Facebook out of the equation, the task of writing and adapting widgets for the every increasing number of social platforms was going to be turn into a colossal mess.""

Comments

Clone facebook

[Virgil Tibbs]

the thing which has always put me off social networking is that they are so uncompatibale with each other, and you can bet your bottom dollar that if you are on one system, someone else will be on the other.
I just wish someone would clone facebook (and/or myspace,bebo etc) and release it under the AGPL.

Re:Clone facebook

[caramelcarrot]

It's not the code, it's the actual hosting, servicing, maintenance. Anyone can clone the code of facebook fairly easily, some people have, but actually running it as a viable website is a totally different thing.

Re:Clone facebook

[langelgjm]

Even if you were to clone it, you would still have the issue of fractured userbases, as well as inertia - people will stick to whatever they are already on. To me, this seems to be very similar to the differences between messaging clients. Where I grew up, AIM was the only protocol anyone ever used; but people in different places use other protocols (from what I understand MSN is much more popular in Europe, etc.). Then along came clients with the ability to speak any of the protocols.

I think the solution to myriad social networking sites is not more social networking sites, but rather a standard communication and search protocol that they all can share, at least for basic information. This could allow Facebook users to connect to MySpace users, send messages, etc. Each site could retain its peculiar features, but basic communication could be established.

Open source.... why bother?

[EveryNickIsTaken]

I *get* what Google is trying to do here. However, since the majority of Facebook's users couldn't care less if the apps they're using are open, I'm not really sure what the point is...

Re:Open source.... why bother?

[samael]

It's not about Open in its Open Source meaning - it's about Open in its Open Standards meaning. OpenSocial is a standard that applications can be written to which will allow them to run on any web platform that supports it. So far that looks to be lots of smaller platforms (Ning, Orkut, etc), but together they add up to a fair chunk of the market.

The big question is whether Facebook can be pushed into supporting this API...

A step in the right direction

[samael]

Step one - applications that work in a social network. e.g. Facebook apps.
Step two - applications that work on lots of different social networks using certain common features. This is where OpenSocial is taking us.
Step three - applications that work across multiple social networks, so that they can include your contacts from Facebook, Livejournal, Slashdot and LinkedIn.
Step four - roll-your-own sites that allow you to provide your own basic social infoamtion (using FOAF, OpenID, etc.) so that you don't need to be a member of a social site to produce or consume social network information.

We're a way off yet - but it looks like we're moving in the right direction.

if Google copise MSFT and MSFT copies Google ...

[peter303]

who invents the new stuff then?
Startups.

so...

[hitmark]

can we be able to have friends on different community sites without requiring our own accounts on them?

as in, a kind of distributed login system between community sites?

so i create a profile on site A, and my friend on site B, and i can read and write stuff on his, and him on mine?

im so tired of having to write those profiles all the time as friends jump to the community of the month...

I could be stupid but ...

[eheldreth]

could some one explain what the compatibility issues is. I mean granted being and anti social basement dweller, I've never used a "Social Networking" site but aren't they just like a mix of a crappy blog and geocities. What is there to be compatible with.