I think Facebook has finally hit the nail on the head with their new form of integration through Facebook Connect. On the SocialMedia blog I called it a “Really Big Deal” because it seems to be the Goldie Locks of their platforms. It’s early, but it looks like the platform will enable the deep integration and portability offered by the two previous platforms.
This is a great development for a couple of key reasons:
Websites are more sophisticated - Facebook applications can only stuff so much into that little profile
Portability - I can now import my friend list into another website - big win for FB and users, not so good for third party services trying to bridge this gap. Not threatening OpenID yet.
Ubiquitous Social Computing - the future of the web will be closely tied to applications with a social relevance. Akin to how the internet multiplied the utility of desktop computers, social computing and platforms will do the same, but also include the mobile web.
