OpenSocial is a set of common application programming interfaces (APIs) for web-based social network applications, developed by Google along with MySpace and a number of other social networks. It was released November 1, 2007. Applications implementing the OpenSocial APIs will be interoperable with any social network system that supports them, including features on sites such as Hi5.com , MySpace , orkut, Netlog , Sonico.com , Friendster and Yahoo!.

Structure

Expand: date=November 2007 Based on HTML and JavaScript, as well as the Google Gadgets framework, OpenSocial includes four APIs for social software applications to access data and core functions on participating social networks. Each API addresses a different aspect: one is the general JavaScript API, one for People and Friends (people and relationship information), one for Activities (publishing and accessing user activity information), and one for Persistence (simple key-value pair data for server-free stateful applications). . OpenSocial is currently in alpha development. The initial version of the API that was made public was 0.5, followed by version 0.6 released on December 21, 2007. Version 0.7 was released on February 4, 2008. Version 0.8 was released on May 28, 2008.

Development

OpenSocial was rumored to be part of a larger social networking initiative by Google code-named "Maka-Maka", which is defined as meaning "intimate friend with whom one is on terms of receiving and giving freely" in Hawaiian.

Implementation

For launch, partners committed to supporting the OpenSocial APIs included the social network companies Bebo, Engage.com, Friendster, hi5, Hyves, imeem, NetModular, mixi, MySpace, Ning, orkut, Plaxo, Six Apart; as well as business-oriented networking companies LinkedIn, Tianji, Salesforce.com, Viadeo, Oracle, and XING. Plaxo and Ning released OpenSocial support within the first day of the launch, with Plaxo adding OpenSocial support to its Pulse feature, and Ning adding basic OpenSocial support ahead of its previously announced release of full support in late 2007 to early 2008. Developers who had already built applications implementing the APIs upon launch include Flixster, FotoFlexer, iLike, Newsgator, RockYou, Slide, Theikos, and VirtualTourist. Initial OpenSocial support experienced vulnerabilities in security, with a self-described amateur developer demonstrating exploits of the RockYou gadget on Plaxo, and of Ning social networks using the iLike gadget. . On Mar 25, 2008 Yahoo! also announced it has joined the initiative .