- Posted by Ian Suttle on October 30, 2007
- Filed under Open Source | Social Networking
Update: MySpace has announced themselves as a host for OpenSocial. That means you'll have access to their profile, friend, and activity info in addition to the impressive list of other hosts!
On Thursday Google will reveal OpenSocial (link live Thursday), their latest developments for the wild world of online social networking. They decided not to be just another kid on the block although they already were with Orkut I guess. This time around they've created an open API which other existing social networks will adopt. Google doesn't mess around though... we're talking about integration with sites like Orkut, Salesforce, LinkedIn, Ning, Hi5, Plaxo, Friendster, and Viadeo. The APIs will cover the following topics:
- Profile Information (user data)
- Friends Information (social graph)
- Activities (things that happen, News Feed type stuff)
The sites themselves will dictate how you can and cannot integrate with their systems.
Personally I can't wait. I've been interested in Facebook apps (Facebook has not adopted OpenSocial, yet), social networking platforms, the upcoming MySpace platform (I work for IGN/FIM so I'm bias), and I absolutely adore LinkedIn.
If you're interested in reading more check out these other posts on the topic:
Details Revealed: Google OpenSocial To Launch Thursday
Google-Led gang to take on Facebook
Google launches open APIs for social networks
