Adam Loving’s BlogSeattle Facebook, OpenSocial, and Web Development

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The race between OpenSocial and the Facebook Platform is hard to call. Facebook has better technology, and a growing user base - but OpenSocial has the support of MySpace and LinkedIn.

A few weeks back, Google announced Friend Connect, and I don’t think it got the coverage it deserved. Maybe I was just on vacation. I think Friend Connect more than anything else gives OpenSocial a leg up. Friend Connect will let you turn any Web site into an OpenSocial Web site by adding some javascript. Facebook’s relase of fbOpen serves the same purpose, but will never be adopted as widely.

I was a big fan of MyBlogLog (the idea and virality at least, if not the implementation). I think Friend Connect is going to be what puts OpenSocial over the top. As if Google hadn’t taken over my life enough already.

A couple weeks back I did a fun project for Microsoft. The goal was to show Microsoft products being used to complete a real-life project in a week. “A Startup A Week” is the brain child of Kevin Leneway, and he picked me for the pilot episode. The video of the first day is now live on VisitMix.com.

Bringing teams together for short technology projects (whether they go on to become companies or not) is popular here in Seattle. Recently there was a Startup Weekend, and another group meets once a week at Saturday House. It is a great time to be a developer because of the growing availability of Web APIs and excellent tools - you can get a lot done in a short period of time.

I didn’t know the details of this project until the first day (other than that we would use the Facebook platform and Microsoft tools). The project description was simply to raise money for the Room to Read charity on Facebook. From that starting point, we brainstormed the “Lab Builder” Facebook application. This application lets you help build a computer lab in Cambodia.
Check out Lab Builder - if you don’t have a Facebook account, let me know if you’d like me to donate on your behalf. I’m excited to make a difference for a worthy cause. Let me know what you think of the video, and how I can help your company design a Facebook or Open Social application!