Breaking Open Facebook With FOSS

NewsCloud writes "Since last December, Facebook has grown from 12 to 47 million users and third-party developers have launched more than 6,000 applications with its API. While privacy advocates have been concerned about Google for the past several years, most of us are just beginning to comprehend Facebook's growing impact on who, when, what and how we connect with friends. Microsoft's recent $240 million investment in the company gives it all the capital it needs for further growth. Last August, Wired published two unusual stories describing how consumers might link together a variety of third-party services to emulate Facebook, and ultimately calling on the open-source software community to build alternatives to the service. Inspired in part by Wired, I've posted some ideas describing what would be needed for an open source architecture for social networking."

Beginning to comprehend...what, again?

[DragonWriter]

While privacy advocates have been concerned about Google for the past several years, most of us are just beginning to comprehend Facebook's growing impact on who, when, what and how we connect with friends.

I don't know what "us" you are talking about, but I've realized for years that Facebook has no effect on who, when, what, and how I connect with friends, and that's unlikely to change anytime in the near future.

Re:Screw Facebook

[SurturZ]

I don't know what the hell kind of drugs you are on, but your ideas intrigue me and I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.

Re:6000 applications...

[Anonymous Coward]

Personally, I look forward to a FOSS facebook clone. It will have the fun and human warmth of LKML, the ease of use of vi, and the male-female ratio of an 18th century ship of the line. **bliss**

And sadly...

[Tarlus]

And sadly, those of us who are involved programmers in the FOSS community aren't social enough to have a Facebook profile.

I stopped Social Networking a long time ago...

[Derek Loev]

/etc/init.d/net.social stop

Re:slashdot comment profiling

[Anonymous Coward]

I think the best slashdot comments are the ones you dont expect.

Trouserless under-arm hoverboards thrill me with their delightful feathery globules.

You're welcome.

Re:Beginning to comprehend...what, again?

[garbletext]

then you wouldn't know whether they liked Britney spears or not, or be able to see 100 drunken photos of them before you even said hello.