Update: This has now been announced.
MySpace is gearing up to launch MySpace Platform, according to a number of third party developers who’ve been contacted for input on the product. While this has been rumored since June, this is the first indication that the service is preparing to actually launch. And we also have information that suggests that it will be announced next week at the Web 2.0 Conference in San Francisco.
The new developer platform, like Facebook Platform which was announced in May, will essentially be a set of APIs and a new markup language that will allow third party developers to create applications that run within MySpace. Developers will be able to include Flash applets, iFrame elements and Javascript snippets in their applications, and access most of the core MySpace resources (profile information, friend list, activity history, etc.). Applications will need to be hosted on MySpace servers.
And in a big change in strategy for MySpace, developers will be able to serve their own advertising within their applications, and keep 100% of the revenue (Facebook also allows this).
Suddenly Facebook, with nearly 5,500 third party applications, has significant competition around their platform – Within a month both MySpace and Google (see our post here) will probably have launched their own services. Platform competition is great for developers, but it also means they need to create and maintain separate code for each platform they choose to play on. Someone is hopefully working on a startup that will streamline that process for people. Whoever does it first, and best, can have a winner on their hands.
I was reading Fastcompany. It seem Facebook have closer relations with Microsoft and Bill Gates. Mark wanted to be more like Bill Gates.
I like the sound MS Facebook. Imagine, Microsoft acquires Facebook and help them build new class operating system.
Who is on board for launch?
I don’t really think that MySpace should be letting people add -more- cruft to its system. I hope that the first app lets you remove all the flashing gifs and blink tags from the platform.
“Applications will need to be hosted on MySpace servers.”
I can only wonder how that will work out.
While I think this is a great move -> Myspace seriously needs a graphical facelift.
The site is so fking outdated is unbelievable. While sure sure, many ppl will say “a new facelift may alienate users” –> I highly doubt it. I really think Rupert needs to get his cronys to fork out some cash to make myspace look better. Maybe then they can obtain new and increased growth and fit back against the Facebook revolution.
Mike Agree –> Someone needs to integrate all these services together and form a site that enables easy third party development. Open-source would be cool, but even a non-open source model with a slice of revenue on the size would be good. Even better would be to create a third party app website which has its own ad-serving platform
My 2 cents..
Tim O’Reiley says that 84% of the Facebook apps have 87% of the traffic. Who ARE those big winners? Slide & RockYou widgets. Hmm, those already work on MySpace.
Think about this: was all the Facebook hoopla this summer (mostly) just MySpace catch up? Not much new was created and widely adopted that didn’t already exist on other, more “open” networks.
So then, what will MySpace’s win will be in opening up their platform?
Oh, look here:
1) MySpace has a 3-4x larger network.
2) Apps run on MySpace. Sort of a pmarca level3 company.
Not to mention that MySpace has a track record of folks making money (countless profile stylez sites) and being acquired (photobucket). And MySpace still has all the bands.
3 cheers for MZ and co for trying to grab a $10B brass ring. But what will it look like a year or two from now? Fighting against NEWS and GOOG won’t be easy, particularly when you aren’t making any real money.
Best of luck, guys!
Competition indeed! Can’t wait to start developing for MySpace!
Par for the course. I cannot wait to see how this will play out…
Good lord. MySpace is launching a platform? If the fit and finish, and attention to detail of the larger site (login error message still a grammatical/typographical train wreck years later, “You Must Be Logged-In to do That!”) are anything to go by, I’m not holding my breath.
Versus that architecture Facebook’s put together, powered by some of the best and brightest engineers that can be found in Valley? Backed by the funding and network of the Paypal mafia? The only thing that is more robust than the site’s popularity and growth is the talent pool the organization is pulling together to sustain it.
Facebook’s got the momentum and the demographics of the users that traffic the site skews educated and monied, versus MySpace’s population (http://www.zeph...ng_america.html)
What user attention pool would you want to monetize against? I think I’d like to shoot at the entirety of the American college-graduate population of the last five years and a growing number of educated, technical professionals (i.e., Facebook users).
err, typo. Sorry Tim O’Reilly
Wow! FB, Google, and now MySpace. Who’s next?
I seriously doubt that myspace can pull this off. They don’t have the right kinda of disipline to do this right without it being full of security holes.
Facebook has moved away from its “core”. It used to be clean and simple but now it is cluttered with junk (although not as bad as Myspace). There is a need for a simple Social Network that does simple things:
1. Connect friends
2. Share content (Pictures, Videos, Music)
3. Blog (Maybe)
4. Maintains its cleanliness
Myspace is too late in the market to launch a platform. FB did that a long time ago, and has practically so many applications already build on it. Imagine doing the same with myspace now. Myspace can’t beat FB…well let steve ballmer think social networking sites are fad.
http://vidsonly.blogspot.com
Rupert Murdock is a buy now, blast with annoying yet effective ads & then hands off type of guy. Money, Money, Money… Kind of a ‘iWon.com’ technique!
Mark Zuckerberg is more modest, elegant and strategic… Better fitting for a platform kind of business.
Bottom line: Rupert & Tom should focus on the money and acquiring all those hot virtual lovers I’m spammed with daily. That’s where there monetization comes form.
So this throws a whole kink into our “let’s teach a class about Facebook” game, huh?
Who knows, maybe our second assignment will have to be a MySpace app!
Dan Ackerman Greenberg
Stanford ‘08
http://www.acke...angreenberg.com
Big deal, They are still going to filter out the links with their msplink system so there is going to be no SEO benefit .
Oh yeah, and Sixapart is moving to open the social graph up on the open web.
“Someone is hopefully working on a startup that will streamline that process for people. Whoever does it first, and best, can have a winner on their hands.”
Or better yet, the first to find a way to monetize these apps will win.
Dan, don’t drop the class yet. Wait until you get to the 2nd page of the syllubus, where we talk about the RockYou widget phase 3!!!
Arrington, software already exists that makes it simple
http://vbulletin.com/
Peter Kazanjy: Remember who actually looks at/clicks on ads on the Internet.
(hint: it’s more MySpace’s audience than FB’s)
I prefer using FB, but from a $/user point-of-view, I’d bet on MySpace.
I think this is great news for app developers. mySpace probably realized that attracting developers is a good thing. Hasn’t fb exploded ever since they announced their platform? Treat the people that provide content for your site well and they will continue to provide great content. Shutting apps down and competing with them will kill that creativity. Hopefully they both know this. If not, I’m sure someone else will come up with another network or platform that will do this.
@Sam
Such a network exists, ClutterMe.com.
Mark from ClutterMe
There’s only one platform, and only one Fake Dave.
It’ll be interesting to see how this (and Google’s move) plays out. Having worked with the Facebook Platform and several Facebook applications, I’ve been impressed by well-thought out the structure and code are. Granted, it’s not perfect, and Facebook continues to develop it, but a formidable opponent will require a solid API. It’ll also be interesting to compare the different approaches, such as Myspace hosting the apps.
Security/privacy is also going to become a bigger issue with multiple platforms… Facebook’s done a great job on theirs. There are popular Facebook applications that include coding practices which could create big problems if Facebook hadn’t built their platform the way they did. I wonder how the site where “samy is my hero” spread will deal with iframes and JavaScript, esp. being locally hosted.
But a bit off-topic, has anyone noticed how quiet Facebook has seemed since the Platform launch? By quiet I mean little news about any major feature changes or improvements. They’ve obviously been working on something all this time, besides Platform issues. I’m sure they’ve put a lot of work into the upcoming friend lists feature, so one wonders what that will be like. In any event, I keep getting the feeling that Facebook has just gotten started – that there could be some major feature announcements in the near future, leaving places like Myspace and Google to play catch-up once again. I doubt Facebook has been resting on its laurels all this time.
FDM, not so fast my friend.
Let me graph you.
This is not competition for Facebook.
MySpace users are usually the introverted, geeky, loser, low self confidence, non mainstream, wierd types.
Facebook is where you can find the normal, mainstream, social types.
Basically the social rejects will be on MySpace while the rest of the world is on Facebook.
There was a report on this, anyone have a link?
http://www.dana...sDivisions.html
competition is never a bad thing!
Another vehicle to sell advertising – yawn. If you look closely at the job statistics, manufacturing employment is falling, and has been for a long time. Just looking superficially at the flow, it seems there’s an inordinate amount of news about these fluff internet sites that exist, from a commercial point of view, only to sell advertising. Is that what the American economy is devolving to? Pathetic.
@Sheetstache McClure – Graphing would imply that I recognize you as legitimate sir, and you most certainly are not!
They are definitely gearing up for something. The new MySpace layout clearly sets the tone for the new platform. I’m excited! 47 Million user social curve and now a 200 Million user social curve? Let’s go!
Guys, seriously… I was here first.
IMHO, this could bode well for anyone that jumps on this right away. Make sure what you develop is easy to configure, and interesting to the demographic and your in.
“MySpace has most of the kids who are socially ostracized at school because they are geeks, freaks, or queers.”
hahahahaha
good luck monetizing all these losers
So based on some posts here, it’s Myspace = Republicans = uneducated = poor = minorities vs Facebook = Democarts = highly educated = rich = white.
Great news to hear!
What an intriguing demographic breakdown…
WOW! This is amazing news! Theres going to be quite a few people that will make a lot of money in the next few weeks.
gosh, another great reason to avoid myspace….i’m tired of waiting for half of the people’s pages to load with all the crap…
Anyone wants to know where the myspace api is located?
try that: http://api.myspace.com – something is there
While I’m skeptical about MySpace’s ability to launch a good developer platform, I think it’s a long delayed, yet smart move on their part.
So many companies are launching off myspace. For myspace to shut them down (as we’ve seen back in photobuckets pre-acquisition days) shows how powerful and influential they are.
If myspace proves themselves worthy, facebook app developers will begin flooding the myspace developer platform with new cool apps.
This has created quite a reaction from people! Myspace should really try something a bit different if they want to compete with FB though. I also agree that apps would make myspace pages even more over-complicated (which is probably the worst thing about it already!)
MySpace said long ago at a Microsoft conference that they wouldn’t open up. Funny what greed and/or fear can do.
Arrington,
Just Landed from redeye straight your panel. I See this post. Perhaps the 90k developers who are using the their x axis of coding brilliance combined with their y axis of start-up courage should reconcider taking a few days of their time to try and CREATE something and possibly earn a living thru cpm or to get a meeting once again available on mill road with the entry costs of 3 strabucks and some battery charge since now another couple hundred million people might have access to their work with no seo. I mean that just sounds so stupid compared to the super exciting chance to turn off the alarm clock every morning and go code for an obnoxious “serial entreprenuer” while he leverages the graph behind their back and compares everything to google like he built it.
Mahalo
This is great!!! Myspace’s demographic is different, the content is different, and people degree of connection is different. I wonder if smart developers will build attractive application this time.
myspace’s core code is not reliable enough. the fundamentals need to be taken care of first.
Interesting developing. Lets see how facebook will respond.
This war just got a lot bloodier. Google’s Orkut initiative, MySpace (sort of) opening their API, Microsoft’s offer, the growing legions of Nings, the end around by Hi5, the emergence of Black Planet and what seems like hundreds of new “social network” concepts.
This (social) revolution will be televised….online.
Thank you for information. It’s great idea.