Could Open Source Render Facebook the Next AOL? 293
joabj writes "Now that Facebook has amassed more than 500 million users, a growing number of open source social networking developers are wondering if Facebook's photo sharing, status updates and other features wouldn't work better as Internet-wide standardized services. At the OSCON conference last week, the head of Identi.ca, an open source Twitter-like microblogging service, likened today's social networking services to the enormously proprietary online services of the early 1990s, like AOL or Prodigy. He suggested that just like SMTP and Sendmail standardized what were previously propriety e-mail services, so too could open source social networking stacks, like OStatus, render walled garden services like Facebook obsolete."
Re:Great, open source (Score:5, Funny)
You'd make a great find for some anthropologists.
Re:Farmville! (Score:5, Funny)
Unless they can get Farmville ported to an open platform most facebook users will never leave no matter hope open or technically superior an alternative is.
But Farmville [google.com] *is* an open platform. Anyone can go there and try their hand at farming!
FB Disks? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Render Facebook Obsolete? (Score:4, Funny)
It will eventually be replaced not by one single thing but by a variety of better things, including actual human-to-human interaction.
How, by teleporting me to see my friends all over the world? If you could teleport me across the internet, I wouldn't be using the technology to idly chat with relatives and old class-mates, if you catch my drift. I'd use it go get a Monster drink everytime I need one. Like right now. Oh sweet blue Monster, how I miss you.
Re:Exactly (Score:2, Funny)
the back end of Facebook
His name is Mark Zuckerberg. And this isn't a family site, you don't need to use euphemisms. Calling him an asshole is OK.