This document discusses the evolution of social networking and the key players and technologies involved. It outlines how niche social networks grew to serve broader audiences, leading to a more system-centric design focused on value over specific networks. The major current social networking platforms are described along with their key features. Open standards and frameworks for social integration are also outlined, including OpenID, OAuth, and OpenSocial. The document argues that social networking will become an important feature across many different websites in the near future.

1. Social Network Spaghetti
Scott Kveton, Vidoop

2. This Evening
how we got here
the players
social networking routines
who’s doing what
open stack
what’s to do?
why should I care?

3. How we got here
aka - blah, blah, blah

4. bands
college students
professionals
All about the niches bitches!

5. everyone!
everyone!
everyone! (who works)
Then niche sites traded focus to serve “everyone”
:(

6. System-centric design

7. System-centric value

8. Source: Mick Hagen (mickhagen.com)

9. Social networking is
just a feature
(Sorry Zuck)

10. The Players

12. vs.

13. Social networking
routines ...

14. Consuming
Participating
Source: groundswell.forrester.com

15. Adding friends

16. Inviting friends (anti-pattern)

17. Inviting friends (anti-pattern)

18. Inviting friends (the righter way!)

19. Sending messages within networks

20. Seeing what friends are up to

21. Deciding who can see and do what

22. Adding apps

23. Fighting app spam!

24. Who’s doing what

25. MySpace - Data Availability
Profile Information
Pieces of Media
Social Graph
OpenSocial support

26. Google - Friend Connect

27. Facebook - Connect
Trusted Authentication
Real Identity
Friend Linking
Dynamic Privacy
Social Distribution

28. Yahoo - Y!OS
Single social platform for Yahoo
Lotsa standardized web services
Yahoo! Application Platform

29. Open Stack

31. OpenID
http://openid.net/

32. XRDS-Simple
http://xrds-simple.net/

33. OAuth
http://oauth.net/

34. Portable Contacts
http://portablecontacts.net
The goal of Portable Contacts is to make it easier for developers to give their
users a secure way to access the address books and friends lists they have
built up all over the web. Specifically, we seek to create:
•A common access pattern and contact schema that any site can provide
•Well-specified authentication and access rules
•Standard libraries that can work with any site
•and absolutely minimal complexity, with the lightest possible toolchain
requirements for developers.
(Is it really a standard without a logo?)

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

36. What’s to do?

37. Open Stack - what’s left?
Finalize the last bits of tec
Figure out usability
Build the Open Stack “Connect”

38. “Why should I care?”

39. Social networking will be a
feature on every site in the
near future.

40. Fin.
http://kveton.com
http://twitter.com/kveton
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http://vidoop.com
Huge props to Chris Messina for most of these slides