Google & OpenSocial: Let’s Get This Shindig Started

David Glazer (Google)

The cloud is now! He recommends Nick Carr’s book The Big Switch. We want fast, easy access to tools, once the tools are ‘good enough.’

Cloud is getting the computer out of the way in order to increase productivity. The social cloud is to make it easier to interact. And more productive.

People are the Killer App of the web.

Old is new. Email, ftp, gopher, bbs. All big 1.0 apps were social.Used to get news by reading specific dead trees. Now get it from anywhere.

For the dummy – lower the wall between people. Use web to answer social questions – find insurance agent. Find new car. Find new music. Plan a trip.

Authentication – lots of passwords. some important. some not. Who shares the same password?

Lots of places where fragmentation of identity makes it harder to find, interact with friends. Needs to be fixed. Connect to anyone without any barriers.

OpenSocial – lots of people want. hard to figure out where to start. OpenSocial was result. if you can build a web app, you can make it social. Invent it, build it. run it.

What have they learned large breadth of interest. not only socializing networks but also enterprise and hobby communities. Use open source (apache shindig). to get it right – clear mission,open license. engaged community. real-world use. Open works when it is open.

Has to be used. need to have people who could fail if shindig does not work (his makes sure buy-in is complete).

Any app to people is work in progress. But also need to get people to any app.