Google OpenSocial to Launch Thursday
October 31, 2007
TechCrunch revealed details yesterday of Google’s upcoming OpenSocial project. OpenSocial will provide a common set of API functionality that application developers can use to interact with a multitude of social networks that opt to participate.
With the recent growth of social networking development platforms (e.g.: Facebook, MySpace, Friendster, and more), it is becoming increasingly difficult for third parties to release applications and widgets that work on multiple social networks. OpenSocial will enable developers to learn a single set of functions for interacting with multiple networks as opposed to learning site-specific functions for each individual network.
The new API is intended to allow developers a simple means for interacting with core functions and information available from these social networks, including profile, friends, and activity information. Special cases specific to individual networks will not be provided special functionality via OpenSocial, however. Instead, the application server must directly reference the appropriate social network’s API.
Unlike the Facebook Platform, OpenSocial will not provide a custom markup language. Developers will strictly utilize HTML and JavaScript with the opportunity to embed Flash objects. As such, converting existing code to utilize OpenSocial should prove to be significantly easier compared to Facebook’s FBML.
Google has various partners already connected and available to OpenSocial. Host partners — the participating social networks — currently include Orkut, Salesforce, LinkedIn, Ning, Hi5, Plaxo, Friendster, Viadeo, and Oracle. Developer partners include Flixster, iLike, RockYou, and Slide.
Google anticipates a public launch of OpenSocial on Thursday, November 1st.
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[…] a month ago, Google announced the release of OpenSocial, its all-encompassing development platform for numerous social networks. Unfortunately, rumor has […]
what’s benefit to developer building application with open social? means like facebook developer earn money from ad and selling application