Comments on: Birthing pains in the colonization of the social Web

All the major social-networking players recognize that the walls separating them are crumbling, but they haven't agreed on how to implement global openness.

[stegdag]

Mr. Farber:

A pleasure talking with you today at the Berkman@10 event. The stanglehold some businesses like to keep on their data is probably going to remain one of the sticking points in convincing 'old' businesses to trust the new methods.

It's surprising though, that FaceBook is acting in such a legacy way.

Nice piece.

Jeff
Jeff Cutler.com

[MaryTrigiani]

Dan, how we do know that the big social networks aren't giving users what they want? How do we know there is a mainstream need for open identity, data portability and apple pie? If it were profitable to be open, I think we all know that the for-profit entities would be all over the entire spectrum, from openness to portability. Any chance they know something we do not?

Either way, companies in the space of creating networks and serving them need to put the mainstream user first. You do that by understanding what that user values -- not what you think they might value.

Thank you for the thought-provoking post. Mary

[GraemeThickins]

What a topic to shed light on, Dan -- thanks for doing so!

<< Full openness in the colonization of the social Web is counter
to the instincts of companies funded by venture capitalists >>

you got that right! and that's pretty much all of 'em, isn't it?

the word you bring up -- "conflicted" -- that is so right on

cheers,
Graeme
http://www.tech-surf-blog.com
www.twitter.com/graemethickins

[JoeDuck1]

It's time for the social networks, like the 13 colonies in 1774 banding together to be free of British authority, to unite and manifest that the Web is by and for the users.

HUZZAH!

Right on Dan, this is exactly what is needed. The commercialization of the internet has brought some wondrous things but it is critical that users REgain the control that has been lost thanks to the love of money. Social standards will help with this and we *must* insist on them until the power players get it right.