Google launches meta-social networking site!
I just stumbled upon the following article on techcrunch which I find pretty intriguing:
“Details Revealed: Google OpenSocial To Launch Thursday“
“[...] 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:
- Profile Information (user data)
- Friends Information (social graph)
- Activities (things that happen, News Feed type stuff)
[...] Partners are in two categories: hosts and developers. Hosts are the participating social networks, and include Orkut, Salesforce, LinkedIn, Ning, Hi5, Plaxo, Friendster, Viadeo and Oracle. Developers include Flixster, iLike, RockYou and Slide. (source:techcrunch)”
Basically this means that Google will create a system that allows developers to create new tools and widgets in one standardized language that applies to multiple social networking sites. Furthermore, I assume, this means that users of the partnering social networking sites can use their profile and friendship information in various sites at a time (although I am not a 100% sure if this is really the case 
).
Hello Thomas,
This concept of allowing users to connect to various technology networks is exactly what I describe in my PhD thesis about the management of competing standards in the presence of network externalities, and more particularly about the provision of conversion technologies.
Indeed, Google plays the role of the third-party providing a converter to users of incompatible communities — say here Facebook vs. MySpace. Depending upon the respective dominance of the different incumbents, it is sure that this kind of converters will have a considerable impact on the market. This might even sound the death knell for one of these community networks!
I rest at your disposal for further comments and discussions.
Best regards,
Arnaud
Bibliographical reference: Managing competing technology standards in the digital economy, PhD dissertation, EPFL, forthcoming soon.
Hey Arnaud,
thanks for your comment!! That is cool! I have two questions here:
- What exactly did you find in your research on conversion technologies which might help us understand what will happen to Google and the social networking worlds in the future?
- Why do you think Google’s “open social” project has the potential to become the “death knell” for some of the existing sites?
Best,
Thomas