Apple’s new social network Ping had Facebook Connect one minute and not the next. It’s a bit odd for a feature like that to disappear in less than 24 hours, but what I found intriguing was some people’s reactions across the blogosphere. Om Malik was severely disappointed:
As a long-time customer of Apple and its iTunes store, I’m severely disappointed that I can’t bring my pre-configured social graph to Ping. I hope Apple and Facebook both come to an agreement and kiss and make-up.
Maybe it’s just me but I don’t want my social graph to follow me. I like having different graphs at different services. Having Facebook Connect would help me pull those that I might want over, but at the same time I’m kind of hoping the cool ones will move on their own and we’ll create a new social graph. I think it’s the same way with dive bars or clubs – you always keep moving.
Facebook Connect will most likely not return to Ping
Some speculate that this just part of corporate one-upmanship.
Otherwise, Ping would really suck and the big losers in this game of corporate one-upmanship are the consumers, who probably — like me– just want recommendations from our friends, then buy those tunes.
Some believe that once it’s worked out, Facebook Connect will return. I highly doubt that, simply because Facebook charges for access.
According to AllThingsD, Facebook was responsible for turning off Apple’s access to its Facebook Connect API. Typically this API is open to just about any application developer. However, with higher-volume apps (think social games and services with lots and lots of users), Facebook apparently requires a special agreement for these kinds of connections.
Apple is huge, they’re the product company everyone wants to emulate, their fans are rabid. Why would they need to pay for access? I’m sure what Apple asked itself is what’s the value add for Facebook Connect? Given who they are and that there are people like me out in the world who actively want to recreate social graphs they couldn’t justify the expense.
When I asked Jobs about that, he said Apple had indeed held talks with Facebook about a variety of unspecified partnerships related to Ping, but the discussions had gone nowhere. The reason, according to Jobs: Facebook wanted “onerous terms that we could not agree to.”
Ping is directly challenging Facebook’s place as the de facto social graph
We would be surprised if this feature didn’t make a reappearance at some point. That’s a good thing, because Facebook is becoming the de facto social graph for many users and makes the friend discovery process much easier.
I would agree that it is the de facto social graph today, but that is what Apple is challenging directly with Ping. My money isn’t so much on Ping, but more on the fact that Facebook’s lock on the de facto social graph is fading. I can still remember when there was only one place to build a personal homepage – GeoCities. Eventually people discovered other places, then entirely new ways to establish a home on the Internet.
Facebook seems unstoppable as of late, but this encounter with Apple could open up some cracks in the walls.
