Facebook Connect appears set for expansion

Facebook Connect--the service launched last spring that lets members log on to other Web sites using their Facebook profile--appears to be entering a new phase.

The New York Times, in a big-picture story Sunday about the social network's plans to extend its reach across the Web, notes that the Facebook Connect service is gearing up for expansion:

In the next few weeks, a number of prominent Web sites will weave this service into their pages, including those of the Discovery Channel and The San Francisco Chronicle, the social news site Digg, the genealogy network Geni, and the online video hub Hulu.

TechCrunch's Michael Arrington chimed in with a related post about Facebook Connect and other such services, noting that Facebook had slated Sunday as the start of "a big press push" for Facebook Connect.

Facebook Connect was launched in May as a way for members to connect their profile data and authentication credentials to external Web sites, much like services offered by rivals MySpace and Google. Members can use their Facebook identities across the Web, including profile photos, names, photos, friends, groups, events, and other information. Facebook handles the authentication process and stresses that user security is a priority.

Some of the other announced Facebook Connect partners include Movable Type, Amiando, CBS.com, CNET (that's us, of course), CitySearch, CollegeHumor, Disney-ABC Television Group, Evite, Flock, Kongregate, Loopt, Plaxo, Radar, Red Bull, Seesmic, Socialthing, StumbleUpon, The Insider, Twitter, Uber, Vimeo, and Xobni.

[WeCanDoBIZ]

I am not sure it allows users to log in to other sites using their Facebook identity, does it? That suggests Facebook have a rival to OpenId. Closer to the truth is that Facebook Connect will enable an iFrame (a web page within a web page) to be incorporated within a web site so that it can be shared easily with your Facebook friends. In essence, you enjoy Facebook features with a window on that website, nothing more. If that website requires you to log in to it to enjoy features, that will still need to be done and you won't automatically connect with all your friends on that site after you have.

We wish for the day when you can though!

Ian Hendry
CEO, WeCanDo.BIZ
http://www.wecando.biz

[dalellarson]

Pity, but it looks to me like Facebook Connect doesn't really open access to their social graph, it just pulls some external web sites into Facebook.

Imagine a world where I could choose the lens of different social graphs to look at the same content.

This already happens to some degree with status messages because of Twitter's openness. I can view messages on Facebook (many of which are now generated by Twitter) or view them in Twitter (which has a very different model for its social graphs). What's a shame is that Facebook won't let it's status messages back out to Twitter (and other services), so I can't view everything from my Facebook friends there.

Twitter's open graph (itself) is interesting. Twitter's open access to that graph is far more compelling, and may have more to do with Twitter's success to date. <br><br>This is what I meant when I wrote <a href="http://dalelarson.com/2008/11/could-twitter-transcendent-clarity-trump-facebook.html" rel="nofollow">Twitter vs. Facebook: Will Twitter's Transcendent Clarity Trump Facebook</a>

[chrissparshott]

Good for usability but a blow to digital user rights. I wonder if Facebook logs the places you visit and is able to see what transactions you perform on the Facebook-Partner site.

Big brother and profile 2.0 might be taking a step closer to reality...

http://www.chrissparshott.com/?p=67

As a user I love it!