Google Friend Connect

1. Google Introduces Social Bar
   http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2009/02/12/google-introduces-social-bar
2. Google Friend Connect
   http://www.google.com/friendconnect/
3. Blog example using Google Friend Connect
   http://blog.go2web20.net/Ref1
4. Xoopit adds Facebook data to Gmail
   http://arstechnica.com/web/news/2009/02/hands-on-xoopit-pokes-gmail-adds-it-to-facebook.ars
   

I'm not jumping on the bandwagon yet; however, I think Google Friend Connect shows good innovation. In many ways it is a reaction to Facebook Connect, but Google, I think, aims at an audience with less technical knowledge. I think that this could be a great step forward. Instead of building a closed space to network, Google Friend Connect essentally lets any site opt in to the network and form a new node. The tools seem more straight forward than Facebook's and allow even the average blogger to leverage the service.

I once spoke about the idea of collaborative reading of a site -- i.e. when you visted a site you might be able to see coments, highlights, margenalia, your friends left on the site. Diigo does something similar right now as a browser plugin, but lacks the ability to tie into a ready list of "friends." I still need to play with Friend Connect more, but if it could allow me to filter content and see just comments by my friends, I think that would be a great step. Further enhancements to allow highlight- and margenalia-sharing among friends would be awesome additions.

Of course, one last way this service would be greatly enhanced is if I could keep all of my Facebook friends. While Xoopit does not focus on Friend Connect, it does bring together Facebook and Gmail in a great new concept. Further (optional) integration with Facebook would be, in my opinion, a win for Gmail and Friend Connect. I do understand wanting to keep a competator a bay; however, as old affrim goes: "keep your friends close and your enemies closer."