The Social Networking API

Starting this past Wednesday, Google's PR machine has been in high gear promoting its next biggest "free" offering. The Social Networking API, designed by Google and supported by a few big and small social networking sites, is suppose to act like the Facebook killer we were all hoping it be. I for once admired this venture because it was focused on completely alienating Facebook and shutting down the most useless website on the net. Why most useless, because it offers nothing new in terms of features, its interface is blend and uninviting, and most of all because people are dumb enough to fall for the next mediocre thing when they get bored with whatever they used before.

That being said, Google's plan to curb Facebook's growth and success is not going to work out in their favour. The problem is with the fact that since all of the major social networking sites are getting on board and Google inviting anyone, Facebook is more than likely to jump at this opportunity. I mean, wouldn't sound great if Facebook announced the support for the API and declared that "You can use you custom apps on our site, where we have 30 million more users than our nearest competitor". Where will the developers end up, in your opinion? Facebook of course, and the final result will be Google's dumbass idea to create the open standard that Facebook will use gain even more market share.

Way to go Google. Real smart decision.

What should have been done instead? Well, since they were working with MySpace for a year before the launch date, why wouldn't you invite a few other major sites and just create a proprietary standard for the members, not everyone. This way your market segment would have been bigger, the smallest guys would want to join, and Facebook would lose developers, users, and money - The Ultimate Revenge of the Nerds.

But, the people at Google decided to put a fake show on the road to keep up their image of being open source oriented company. Since it is all a farce, (why don't they open up their Apps project or any other closed source enterprise they got going on), Google has evidently shot itself in the foot.

Get out of the Social Networking Market Google, you're not good at it, and never will be. Focus on your core products, and leave the bickering to the other morons. And sell off Orkut, its just wasting your hardware resources.

Take Care.