Posted on May 16, 2008
Google Friend Connect Didn't Connect
BY JASON CORMIER
Earlier this week, Google unveiled its Google Friend Connect functionality, inviting folks to sign up for a "pre-release" review.
In a nutshell, Google Friend Connect enables website owners to paste snippets of code into their website to leverage a wide and powerful variety of social networking applications supported by the OpenSocial development network.
The benefits are numerous when you consider the power of enabling people to include your website as part of their social networking activity. A key to effective community-based websites is actually giving people something to do… as opposed to just something to read. Google strikes at the heart of this issue by enabling people to participate, invite, share and upload all in the context of your web property. But before you think I'm singing Google's praises, just keep reading.
I thought I'd let the dust settle for a few days before dipping in myself to take a look. This morning, I spent about 30 minutes thoughtfully reviewing our web analytics and filling out the application that would hopefully qualify our early participation of this review.
Google wanted information about our daily page views, unique visitors, how we would use Friend Connect ("be very specific"). I wrote about our experience with social media and search marketing services through Room 214, our application development experience with Post Zinger for advanced blog, podcast and RSS management. Surely, we could be selected to take some first looks under the hood.
I hit the magic submit button. And now I will end this post with the same dose of reality that was served up to me. "Something bad happened. Don't worry, though." Happy Friday.
