Facebook extends their lock-in strategy
Its great to see Mark Zuckerberg getting cozy with Robert Scoble - acting all human and such, but that doesn’t mean that their latest move - in offering up client side javascript libraries to enable developers to access their closed platform - from within external applications or services - is anything more than just an extension of the same game of lock-in.
Now instead of having to come to Facebook to interact with one’s Facebook social graph, apps or other Facebook services - developers will be able to have their users (or call them customers) stay outside of Facebook - yet access all that stuff FROM Facebook. Its a coolio move and one that continues to move the world of open, distributed computing - forward.
But it still assumes that the web is Facebook.
And it’s not.
Facebook is just ONE platform - in a world of platforms.
Folks like Henry Blodgett - an investment banker - think this is a brilliant move. To quote Henry:
For obvious reasons, Facebook wants to resist going completely “open” and allowing members to export their information and relationships at will, as Facebook might lose its control over its core asset (the billions of relationships among its millions of members, a.k.a., the social graph). This move seems another smart step toward a hybrid strategy: Allow app makers (and Facebook) to extend social-graph functionality to the web, gather more app users, and recruit more members–but retain full control over the social graph itself.
But Yo Hank! In case you haven’t been paying attention - there really ARE other platforms out there and Facebook’s continued insistence that it is the ONLY platform - kind of, well let me say this politely Hank “it’s great for capitalists to exploit users and customers and make money for themselves - but Hank I believe Facebook has already signed up their investment bankers for their IPO.”
Sorry there’s no money it it for YOU Hank - until they’re public - and then you can run up their stock, just like Google.
So Hank- there’s no reason for you to suck up to Zuckerberg et al - you’re NOT gonna get the business. The absurd valuatoon has been set and now all they have to do is generate REVENUES to justify it. You know - we’re NOT letting companies go public WITHOUT revenues - in this bubble.
So anyone else who supports Facebook or justifies this latest move clearly as something to prove in alligning themelves with Facebook - right? Everyone understands that?
We know why Dave McClure alligns himself with Facebook - right? He puts on conferences and invests in companies that benefit from Facebook. He’s one of those O’Reilly confidants that LOVE to play exclusive games and play kingmaker.
And we know why Bebo supports Facebook’s APIs - right? Cause they’re ALSO supporting OpenSocial - and will serve as aplatform to connect the two worlds together.
And LORD KNOWS we know why Scoble supports Facebook - he’s used Facebook brilliantly to extend his brand and now EVERYONE will want to watch his exclusive video interviews of ‘the shy one’.
But why would your or I support Facebook?
They actually think they’re the web - and sorry - they’re just PART of the web. So beware of platforms bearing gifts.
January 27th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
oh please, Marc. get a friggin’ clue dude.
most (if not all) of my portfolio companies are NOT based on Facebook, and Facebook wasn’t even a sponsor for the last conference I ran — which btw, made a *slight* profit, but barely covered my living expenses for the 3 months it took to put together.
not to mention, I just wrote a fairly critical post a few weeks ago about how Facebook needs to do a better job on monetization, or risks making its developer, advertiser, & user community unstable.
rip me anytime you want dude, but do your homework first.
seriously.
- dave mc
January 27th, 2008 at 9:11 pm
[…] Facebook extends their lock-in strategy :: Marc Canter - an excellent piece that points some sharp pins in the hot air around Facebook’s announcement about allowing Facebook widgets to live outside of the walled garden. […]
January 28th, 2008 at 5:58 am
Marc, Dave
Wow. Easy.
January 28th, 2008 at 9:56 am
If not me - who Jeremiah is gonna call Dave on this bullshit? Exclusive FOOCamps? Where’s the open social networking sessions? Where’s the inclusionary blogosphere sprit?
January 28th, 2008 at 10:32 am
[…] I included Dave McClure in my post on Facebook’s close platform - and he commented back, asking me to do my research. […]
January 28th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
>>who Jeremiah is gonna call Dave on this bullshit?
>> Exclusive FOOCamps? Where’s the open social networking sessions?
>>Where’s the inclusionary blogosphere sprit?
Marc: the “inclusionary blogosphere spirit” comes from people who honestly and earnestly discuss a subject, and earn the respect & interest of their peers. it certainly doesn’t come from flaming the fuck out of someone with incorrect facts, bullshit accusations, and complaints about exclusivity.
perhaps the reason you don’t get invited to Foo Camps is more about your crappy attitude on matters like this, and less about the technical merits / proprietary lock-in vs openness of your complaints.
just perhaps.
January 29th, 2008 at 8:03 am
As someone far from the epicenter of silicon valley - I have to say that I appreciate Marc Cantors strident if perhaps sometime erroneous (who can cast a stone here?) support for Open standards …. his voice is one of the few that I can say consistently resonates on themes that are good for the web and good for its users. I completely agree with Marc - take a look and see how many young Mexican kids are on Facebook as compared to Hi5, or Brazilians on Orkut, or really anyone outside silicon valley on Twitter. With the help of passionate folks like Marc - we just might see all these apps/platforms play together someday. Keep up the good work, and keep the passion, if it means you have to bust out the flamethrower to burn back some weeds occasionally … what grows in in its place will justify the action.
peace.
January 29th, 2008 at 9:55 pm
I’m late to this thread but it sure is timely for a cautionary note:
Facebook emailed KT on Sunday: “Your account is closed. “Go use Pages…oh…and there’s no way to move your friends.” huh???
Kelli had invested a couple of hundred hours over the past six months developing a following. Then with one computer generated email…wham! Door is closed.
If this is all ‘free and open’ then:
- How was the decision made?
- Who made it?
- Who can she go to to protest the decision? (Customer Service sure isn’t being helpful)
- Why not give a warning first?
- Why can’t she move her friends?
This is how people who have put in serious time and effort building on Facebook can be treated?
February 3rd, 2008 at 1:38 pm
[…] Kelli also had an active Facebook account - which was recently suspended cause - guess why? She wasn’t an individual, she was an entity and […]