OpenSocial, Facebook two disjoint parallel lines

Recently, Google has launched an open social networking platform OpenSocial with several other companies, and has attracted support from several major social networking sites such as MySpace, Hi5, Ning, LinkedIn, Salesforce and Friendster. Many people think that opensocial may be a lot of pressure on Facebook, but I think it might be better to drive the development of a platform strategy, with the benefits of multiple, even Facebook.

Google launched OpenSocial I am not too surprised, from the Google strategic process, this is a necessity, but only because of Microsoft's marriage with Facebook, the event's PR value greatly improved. OpenSocial's original source was the Google Gadget program, which implemented a large number of Google API platform applications via APIs and Gadget ventures. I think OpenSocial's proposal is to conform to the platform of the development of strategic layout, platform concept is more extensive, Facebook is one, and more API applications and more SNS also gradually to stand on this stage.

The Internet is flat, we put forward the web2.0 open, share, create, proposed web design standardization, OPML and so on are all for such an open Internet, and I think the greatest value of opensocial is open versatility, Although Keso said: OpenSocial distance from our ideal open state, but also very remote. But I believe this is a trend. Google's alliance with its influence has called on API providers to be more confident in providing services, while the other side has put more SNS into the platform war, and this war is not just about Facebook.

In the short term, I don't think OpenSocial will make a big impact on Facebook, but one thing I'm sure will change, and the platform that Facebook has previously preached is used only in F8 development frameworks, and OpenSocial's involvement, Facebook has had to consider the platform's external API compatibility and versatility. If you want to be bigger, you should let go of the small plate in your heart.

However, I always believe that the platform has been a platform for at least 3 factors: first, the bottom of the structure to bear the second is more people, the third is the relatively high quality of the population. From this point of view, is not the SNS open API, accept the opensocial is a platform, users do not buy others are white pull. Facebook is not entirely as valuable as it is open to the platform, but at the core of its value. Compared to Google, they are doing something completely different, even if Google is more and more focused on its own orkut, compared with Facebook is not a heavyweight product.

But the whole incident to see the future development of the Internet should be said to be a wind vane role. The concept of openness has gradually become popular, platform competition will become increasingly fierce, but for the API providers they have more opportunities to rely on the platform to form the Internet industry chain, survival and development.

This thing I feel and China's internet is not much of a relationship, of course, I also know that a lot of people want to do the platform, "want" and "do" is different, and for the present stage, many companies still have the opportunity, but the mind and the height of thought determines something. I do not expect the Chinese platform, but I still hope that this thing can become a reality, not because of the joy of the new giants, but because see so many in the harsh environment of hard work of entrepreneurs, hope that they can rely on to get the first recognition of the opportunity.

Of course, one day China's platform is changed, perhaps because the language is assimilated into the web, Simplified Chinese in the world, as if Facebook does not need a Chinese version, he only needs a Chinese interface.