Six Apart - News and Events: We Are Opening the Social Graph
Six Apart - News and Events: We Are Opening the Social Graph
if you manage a social networking service, we strongly encourage you to embrace OpenID, hCard XFN, FOAF and the other open standards around data portability.
Thats right folks, because the social graph is coming like it or not. This is your chance to get on board or get left behind. People are tired of trusting large companies with their personal information and _WILL_ turn away from those who insist that they do so. Personally I hope Myspace ignores the warning. We don’t want you involved anyway you damned dirty apes. 
To companies who insist on a walled garden like Facebook we say no. Offering an api isn’t good enough. Its nothing personal, just that we want control of our relationships and our information. You might be able to ignore this for some time without a drop in your market share, but to remain a valid business I suggest you learn from history. Basic economics will tell you that consumers migrate toward the best bargain.
An open standard provides the consumer with control and the ability make their social life portable. They will only have to define their graph once so moving away from you will be easy. On the other hand, if you accept this format joining you will be just as easy. Think carefully before you decide which business model you want, one which relies on your users never peaking over hedge or one which allows for continued future growth.
Pingback by links for 2007-09-22
[…] Blog Reply to: Six Apart - News and Events: We Are Opening the Social Graph Think carefully before you decide which business model you want, one which relies on your users never peaking over hedge or one which allows for continued future growth. (tags: socialgraph) digg_url=’http://xiled.rss-central.net/blog/2007/09/21/links-for-2007-09-22/’; digg_skin = ‘compact’; digg_bgcolor = ‘#FFFFFF’; digg_title = ‘links for 2007-09-22′; digg_bodytext = ”; digg_topic = ”; Powered by Gregarious (41) Share This […]