Open Social

OpenSocial is a set of three common APIs, defined by Google with input from partners, that allow developers to access core functions and information at social networks:

* Profile Information (user data)
* Friends Information (social graph)
* Activities (things that happen, News Feed type stuff)

Hosts agree to accept the API calls and return appropriate data. Google won’t try to provide universal API coverage for special use cases, instead focusing on the most common uses. Specialized functions/data can be accessed from the hosts directly via their own APIs.

Unlike Facebook, OpenSocial does not have its own markup language (Facebook requires use of FBML for security reasons, but it also makes code unusable outside of Facebook). Instead, developers use normal javascript and html (and can embed Flash elements). The benefit of the Google approach is that developers can use much of their existing front end code and simply tailor it slightly for OpenSocial, so creating applications is even easier than on Facebook. via TechCrunch

About a week ago Google unveiled its Open Social platform. Me being a strong Open Source supporter had to write about this.

Many Social Networks have hopped on board, including Myspace. Just when Facebook started gaining some ground they have to pull this stubborn attitude. What advantages Facebook in staying out of the Open Social game? Nothing. They would have a lot to gain and almost nothing to lose. Heck, even Myspace understands what kind of community development and involvement this is going to mean.

And with the announcement of Google’s Andriord OS today (which is an open source development of mobile phones), Facebook will be left out of all that fun… And I bet when its released (‘08) it will be a big hit.

For open social APIs:
http://code.google.com/apis/opensocial/

I like Facebook, but seriously this may be the end of their high road.

Jet-lagged

Completely overslept this morning making me almost late for work if it wasn’t for the intervention of an awesome friend. This oversleeping + maybe the time change last night, has put me into semi jet-lag. It was dark so early it threw me off.

Today is Sunday, and therefore always my worst day of the week. However tomorrow I think I am going to look in “upping” my career position in a few different ways. I was looking at where I was with school and my job and realized its not as bad as I thought… actually I’m doing really well compared to lots of other people my age. I don’t know why sometimes I just feel I’m not where I could be. (Maybe I will always be in that state no matter where I am?)

Reading “The Plague” by Albert Camus this week and seem to be flyin’ through it pretty damned fast. I need another hobby besides computers and reading… Maybe I’ll start building my Steam Punk costume for next Halloween so I’ll actually have something to wear!! But before I can I need to make and emergency trip to Japan and go see a guy about this watch:

Yes, it will be mine.

See his other watches at

 http://www.eager-beavers.net/products/shouhin_guide.cgi?temp=TMP0

Help for Paranoid Schizophrenics.

Best Ideas Evar.

In The Know: Is The Government Spying On Paranoid Schizophrenics Enough?

Money as debt

“Some of the biggest men in the United States, in the field of commerce and manufacture, are afraid of something.
They know that there is a power somewhere so organized, so subtle, so watchful, so interlocked, so complete, so pervasive, that they had better not speak above their breath when they speak in condemnation of it.”

-Woodrow Wilson
former persident of the United States
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9050474362583451279

I was enjoying a smoke and a cup of coffee with a friend at a starbucks and the conversation let to money somehow, and it reminded me of this documentry I saw on the internet once of a guy explaining how the US Dollar represents nothing but debt. I’ll try to break this down… Lets say you deposit $100 cash dollars into a bank, that bank can use $90 (assuming that the reserve requirement is 10%) to loan to someone else, that then gets put back into the economy and is used to buy iPods, food, whatever and eventually gets deposited at another bank. That bank then can use $81 of that $90 dollars to lend out to someone else, and keep the loop going you will eventually get a lot of money created out of thin air…

Heres a picture for people how have trouble reading long paragraphs(I know who you are!):

You see in the picture that with $100 deposit the bank created $171.. but as long as they meet the reserve requirement to back these loans (3-10%) they are allowed to do this… in fact this is what drives our economy.

 Then why does banking work if we are always creating this money?

Because, banking is about trust. You trust that they will have your money when you need it and they trust (and hope) that everyone doesn’t withdrawal at the same time… Even though that is very odd it works… but it has its long term effects such as the united states will always be in a state of debt and the Dollar is backed by nothing but debt.

Something to ponder next time you take a loan, or deposit… Who are you really borrowing from? Where is your money really going? Watch the video… let me know what you think.

 

Hello World!

Yes, I made a blog. Lately I’ve been reading a lot of books on different subjects but most revolve around philosophy. I think I wanted a place to put all my little random thoughts about the subject and about certain thinkers I have come to love. =) Hope anyone enjoys and feels free to shoot me an email if anything I stumble upon tickles their brain.