"What PR crock," a source tells us, complaining about Google's OpenSocial initiative. The problem? Seems that so far OpenSocial is only open to partners Google signed prior to launch. In fact the "Google Container Developers" discussions page is full pleas for access to the service provider documentation. How long until Google unlocks the door? (Photo by Maurice Koop)
Google's gang of also-ran social networks had their day in the sun. But then we rained on it with our charts, which showed that even in aggregate, without MySpace, the Google gang didn't amount to much in the U.S. Some of you protested. Well here's the good news. Today, the chart looks much better for the Google Gang versus Facebook. The bad news? Well, we may have rained on your day in the sun but you ... who are you again? Here's how the chart looks when Hitwise included some social networks you may have actually heard of, like Bebo and MySpace, Google's new OpenSocial partners.
Forrester Research analyst Charlene Li now claims that she was the source of the New York Times scoop about Google's OpenSocial program, something we alluded to in a post yesterday about a quote from Li being scrubbed from the Times story. So, why did she say she spilled the beans? Turns out that Li got the embargo dates wrong, thinking that the information could be distributed as of last Friday, instead of this one. As for why the quote was pulled? The Times doesn't comment on its reporting or sources, but it was more likely cut for space in an edit than for any nefarious reason. If you've read one analyst quote, you've read 'em all. And given the number of other sources the Times plausibly could have had on this story, one wonders if Li isn't giving herself entirely too much credit.
Just as we predicted, MySpace has joined Google's OpenSocial movement. Another name to add to the anti-Facebook list? UK-heavy network Bebo. Now, at last, Google's open-standards initiative looks more substantive. For Google's also-ran early adopters, though, there's still a problem: They won't be able to tap into MySpace and Bebo's users to spread their apps virally.
