[Sigia-l] Google to take social networking to a new level

[Patrick Grizzard]

This model is much more open than any of the current mainstream  
social networks, and would at least allow some portability/sharing of  
data between platforms. So in this respect, it's a step beyond AOL  
and the old-school walled garden model.

But yes, Google is still building a wall, around personal data and  
information instead of around (another) proprietary platform/site. A  
truly open standard - such as OpenID (http://openid.net/) - would not  
only make personal data portable, but also has the advantage of  
allowing users to maintain more control/ownership of their personal  
data.

The question in my mind is whether the Davids of open standards (e.g.  
- http://www.sixapart.com/about/news/2007/09/were_opening_th.html)  
stand a chance against Googoliath? It seems like Google may be  
allowing just enough flexibility/portability to provide an experience  
that feels completely open, even though it isn't.



On Sep 24, 2007, at 4:35 AM, Ziya Oz wrote:

> Frank Shepard:
>
>> "Google to take social networking to a new level"
>
> Once there were mighty walled gardens like CompuServe, Prodigy and  
> later
> AOL. Apple's eWorld was pretty much DOA. The 95-era Internet rival  
> Microsoft
> Blackbird was aborted before release. WAP-based phone carrier  
> enclaves died
> a slow, flaming death. Even P2P networks took over the more closed  
> Kazaas of
> the world.
>
> While there are profitable closed and, in this case, very opaque  
> services
> like Google AdSense, generally speaking walled gardens peter out.  
> So I read
> the latest on "social graph" land grabbing with historical amusement.
>
> -- 
> Ziya
>
> It depends.
> If it didn't, you'd be out of a job.
>
>
>
> ------------
> IA Summit 2008: "Experiencing Information"
> April 10-14, 2008, Miami, Florida
>
> -----
> When replying, please *trim your post* as much as possible.
> *Plain text, please; NO Attachments
>
> Searchable Archive at http://www.info-arch.org/lists/sigia-l/
> ________________________________________
> Sigia-l mailing list -- post to: Sigia-l at asis.org
> Changes to subscription: http://mail.asis.org/mailman/listinfo/sigia-l