Data Availability
Facebook decided to block Google’s FriendConnect
Charlie Cheever from Facebook has hurled first real bomb in closely observed attempts by social networking platforms to "open up". Data portability promise got first reality check of ToS violation.
Facebook spent couple of days brainstorming on Google's "grand design" and came to conclusion that it's better to block them right away. So no Google FriendConnect for Facebook developers.
In the past, when we found applications passing user data to another party (for instance, to ad networks for the purpose of targeting), we suspended those applications and worked with those developers to ensure they respect user privacy. Now that Google has launched Friend Connect, we’ve had a chance to evaluate the technology. We’ve found that it redistributes user information from Facebook to other developers without users’ knowledge, which doesn’t respect the privacy standards our users have come to expect and is a violation of our Terms of Service. Just as we’ve been forced to do for other applications that redistribute data in a way users might not expect or understand, we’ve had to suspend Friend Connect’s access to Facebook user information until it comes into compliance. We’ve reached out to Google several times about this issue, and hope to work with them to enable users to share their data exactly when and where they choose.
This is NOT a good news for Facebook developers as well as for other vendors who have interest in cross network applications.
I have been following recent announcements in this context. Very soon all these major platforms need to stop and think about how Twitter platform has emerged right under their nose and enabling next generation applications (For example - TwisterNow, Summize, and MessageDance) . It's time for these platform vendors to read Twitter tea leaves (or tweets! ). That's where we are going to see truly open platform in action.
After Myspace Data Availability and Facebook Connect, Google Announces FriendConnect.
Facebook Connect: Data portability done right
Myspace’s Data Availability - The walls are coming down
Blogged with MessageDance using Gmail | Reply On Twitter
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Kindof saw this coming. FriendConnect leverages the Facebook audience for everyone else…except Facebook. It’s like, “Thanks for gathering all of these people in one place. Now we’ll figure out how to monetize them bc/ you clearly can’t.” As I wrote in my blog, Facebook will be bought by Microsoft, and the prophecy will be complete. Anakin will go to the dark side. Or, Facebook could become a true social utility and just become a nonprofit. That’s the Luke route. But Luke hasn’t been born yet. Maybe Twitter is Luke? I like analogies.
“Anakin will go to the dark side”
Good one.
on a serious note, facebook and all social networks are born out of concept that a friend’s friend wouldnt mind being your friend too… and real excitement is in finding long lost friends. that can not happen without sharing network information. ( though excitement dies down pretty soon
)
i think friend connect threatens facebook more because it then opens every site to facebook like capabilities… long live evolution!
You got that spot on Gladwell. Google came in w/ a smile trying to dig money for themselves and Facebook simply told them to get lost.