Google and others to open social networks taking on Facebook

The New York Times writes that an alliance of companies led by Google plans to begin introducing a common set of standards to allow software developers to write programs for Google’s social network, Orkut, as well as others, including LinkedIn, hi5, Friendster, Plaxo and Ning. Facebook opened up its network for 3rd parties to develop their own applications earlier this year and this has resulted in a mass of new developments for everything from ‘super-poke’ to free sms. This would be seen as a move to ‘compete’ with Facebook on the level of integration 3rd parties have with websites.The New York Times learned of the alliance’s plan from people briefed on the matter. Google, which had planned to introduce the alliance at a party on Thursday evening, later confirmed the plan.

Facebook calls the integration of 3rd parties applications, they added to peoples profiles by users or by recommendation from their friend. One of the most popular Facebook applications is iLike a music sharing service. iLike was a minor music internet website until it developed a plug-in for Facebook allowing people to share their playlists, dedicate songs via messages to their friends or buy music.

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