Google has announced the launch of a program they are calling OpenSocial. The program is aimed at developing an API that will allow developers to write applications which would then run on all participating Social Networking sites.
Currently developers need to write individual applications for each social networking site they want to participate in. With this new OpenSocial API they would only have to write the application once, and it would be available on all of the participating social networking sites. It’s an interesting idea, one which may actually amount to something.
I’m not too sure about the name though – there is already alot of prior art with that name. With Google claiming it for a product I could see them going after sites for trademark violations some day in the future!
Regardless, I think it’s a good idea and may in fact foster some innovation!
