Facebook vs. OpenSocial By: Jawad Shuaib

What is OpenSocial? Google’s Response to Facebook Developer Platform Write Once, Run Anywhere Google Widgets on Steroids Released too Early Email: Jawad.php@gmail.com

Google’s Response to Facebook Developer Platform

Write Once, Run Anywhere

Google Widgets on Steroids

Released too Early

Social Networks that support OpenSocial Email: Jawad.php@gmail.com

What does it look like? Email: Jawad.php@gmail.com

Email: Jawad.php@gmail.com

Email: Jawad.php@gmail.com

Market Analysis Email: Jawad.php@gmail.com

Market Size and Competition Ideally speaking, OpenSocial has a market potential for 250 million users as opposed to 64 million active users on Facebook 15,000 Applications on Facebook. Difficult to rapidly grow user base due to a saturated market Most existing Google Widgets can run on OpenSocial. Results? Difficult to rapidly grow user base due to existing competition Email: Jawad.php@gmail.com

Ideally speaking, OpenSocial has a market potential for 250 million users as opposed to 64 million active users on Facebook

15,000 Applications on Facebook. Difficult to rapidly grow user base due to a saturated market

Most existing Google Widgets can run on OpenSocial. Results? Difficult to rapidly grow user base due to existing competition

Business & Marketing Facebook applications leverage the social graph but lack the ability to scale to other networks. OpenSocial can scale, but the applications must be “generic” Applications more viral on Facebook (i.e. support for email invites and better news feed) OpenSocial profile box will likely support advertising More applications won’t persuade users to switch from one network to another Email: Jawad.php@gmail.com

Facebook applications leverage the social graph but lack the ability to scale to other networks. OpenSocial can scale, but the applications must be “generic”

Applications more viral on Facebook (i.e. support for email invites and better news feed)

OpenSocial profile box will likely support advertising

More applications won’t persuade users to switch from one network to another

What’s your target market? Email: Jawad.php@gmail.com

Email: Jawad.php@gmail.com

Technical Differences Facebook requires proprietary languages (FBML, FQL, FBJS). Google requires XML and JavaScript Google provides an IDE (aka Google Gadget Editor) Google hosts applications for free. Facebook doesn’t Email: Jawad.php@gmail.com

Facebook requires proprietary languages (FBML, FQL, FBJS). Google requires XML and JavaScript

Google provides an IDE (aka Google Gadget Editor)

Google hosts applications for free. Facebook doesn’t

Language Support Facebook API FBML FQL FBJS Partial support for AJAX Backend languages like PHP, Java, .NET on Canvas OpenSocial API XHTML/XML JavaScript Full Support for AJAX Backend languages like PHP, Java, .NET on Canvas Email: Jawad.php@gmail.com

Facebook API

FBML

FQL

FBJS

Partial support for AJAX

Backend languages like PHP, Java, .NET on Canvas

OpenSocial API

XHTML/XML

JavaScript

Full Support for AJAX

Backend languages like PHP, Java, .NET on Canvas

Developer Environment Email: Jawad.php@gmail.com

Facebook: Email: Jawad.php@gmail.com

OpenSocial: Email: Jawad.php@gmail.com

Conclusion Email: Jawad.php@gmail.com

Conclusion The choice of your platform should depend on demographic OpenSocial is modeled after Facebook. So if you’ve built a Facebook application before, it is relatively easy to learn OpenSocial “ Write Once, Run Anywhere” is not exactly true. An Orkut specific OpenSocial app. Might not necessairly run on Hi5 Email: Jawad.php@gmail.com

The choice of your platform should depend on demographic

OpenSocial is modeled after Facebook. So if you’ve built a Facebook application before, it is relatively easy to learn OpenSocial

“ Write Once, Run Anywhere” is not exactly true. An Orkut specific OpenSocial app. Might not necessairly run on Hi5

Conclusion Generic applications will do better on OpenSocial in terms of scalability. Applications that take advantage of Facebook’s social graph will have a difficult time scaling Don’t make your OpenSocial applications too generic, because they probably already exist. If Bebo supported both OpenSocial and FBML. I would develop using FBML. OpenSocial is buggy. Email: Jawad.php@gmail.com

Generic applications will do better on OpenSocial in terms of scalability. Applications that take advantage of Facebook’s social graph will have a difficult time scaling

Don’t make your OpenSocial applications too generic, because they probably already exist.

If Bebo supported both OpenSocial and FBML. I would develop using FBML. OpenSocial is buggy.

Find me on Facebook  Jawad Shuaib [email_address] http://www.j4wad.com

Jawad Shuaib

[email_address]

http://www.j4wad.com

References & Resources http://code.google.com/apis/opensocial/ http://groups.google.com/group/opensocial http://www.hi5networks.com/developer/ Bit5media.com xkcd.com for comics Email: Jawad.php@gmail.com

http://code.google.com/apis/opensocial/

http://groups.google.com/group/opensocial

http://www.hi5networks.com/developer/

Bit5media.com

xkcd.com for comics