Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing

Just my 2 cents:

[...] but wait, where’s Facebook? To date, the leading social network has not receive an invite.

It's an open standard of common APIs for social networks. So, there is no "invitation" necessary. Either a network joins it or not. It is not up to Google, it is up to Facebook to join. Google offers the APIs and Facebook is invited to join, just like all others.

So, is this just buzz stealing on the part of Google or is this Google (after a failed Facebook investment) and the other social sites gaining up to take Facebook on?

Well, I guess the Google developers are good, but do you really think they would be able to build OpenSocial in about 2 weeks? I don't! ;-)
I think Google's OpenSocial has been developed for quite some time and probably was also part of the negotiations between Google and Facebook, but definitely no answer to Facebooks deal with Microsoft.

Very interesting -- this means that you can take your social network just about anywhere...kind of scarry...do I really want my friends popping up all over the place?? ahh, the questions to ponder with the Web 2.0

I'm surprised more people aren't concerned about the fact that information will be shared by all these companies, and the effect on personal privacy it will have.

Well, this blog doesn't really get it quite right from my perspective - and I help people understand social networks (and digital identity) for a living.

There's no "failed" investment in Facebook on Google's part, I believe the press inaccurately played that up (with Microsoft's help no doubt). More like Microsoft has ended up with egg on its face(book).

I think it was strategic (or polite to Zuckerman) of Google to wait to announce OpenSocial until after the acquisition -- if they'd announced it before Microsoft might not have paid as much or even done it at all. Most savvy websters would rather be part of Google than Microsoft, honestly. My guess is that Google declined to make an investment in Facebook after they realized it wouldn't mesh with OpenSocial.

Facebook has 35 million users, Google 750 million.

OpenSocial is open to any other site on the net (including SixApart's 40 million TypePad users just announced). Facebook has a partnership with Microsoft.

Which social network looks bigger to you?

It's not buzz stealing and it's not ganging up - it's category killing. If OpenSocial works, which is in fact totally debatable, Facebook will eventually join or die or both, just like AOL's walled garden against the real web.

And, a note to Pinny on privacy - OpenSocial will be implemented with a privacy model, it's the first thing on everybody's minds. If it's done right, companies will only have access to the information people choose to give them, which could be better privacy than the web has now.

Lots of "if's" here before it's done right on all fronts ... but getting back at Facebook isn't what this announcement is about. At all.

The business advice for savvy marketers here is: if you have an online audience, prepare an OpenSocial budget for late 2008. You'll lower your registration wall (or collect data you were missing out on) by creating automatic registration for OpenSocial participants. But wait until the model's been tested a bit, and have a professional team implement it for you, if you want a smooth implementation.

Isabel, there's a lot here that I too agree with. In fact, I think Facebook won't end up being worth much because they won't be able to monetize people's desktop. The more popular it becomes in people's lives the less likely they will be to stomach ads.

Your last bit of advice is absolutely spot on as well.

I'm agree and currently testing GOS aka Google Open Social on the Plaxo Pulse platform ...

Feel free to join your Sales group if you are interested Plaxo Sales Group