Digital ID Coach

Home > friends/family, tools > On Connecting with Friends

On Connecting with Friends

December 5th, 2008

Yesterday Google announced Friend Connect, and Facebook announced Facebook Connect. These are two different ways of opening the social network. John (The Real) McCrea has a great article on these two services. ReadWriteWeb also has a great article (thanks Alex K for this link).

With some mixed* feelings, I’m implementing Google’s Friend Connect on this blog. In the right column, you’ll see a box…… where friends can join from their other services, and a wall where people can write comments and thoughts. Feel free to test these features out. I’d love to know what happens.

I’m not a developer, so I can’t really make much use of the open tools in Europe yet. See the previous blog post, with pixelsebi’s video, for a glimpse on what those tools might be.

Agreeing to terms of service
*Mixed feelings, yes. I will change my tools (but not my friends or wall comments) when I have a more open alternative.

I have a gripe about Google’s Terms of Service. These terms below are evil to me, and they are contrary to Google’s stated goal of not being evil. However, I recognize that “evil” is a matter of perspective and Google wields non-negotiable power. If I felt like there was ANY negotiation or offer that I was agreeing to instead of the blanket “I agree” button, I would not agree to the following provisions.

4. Service Content

… When you provide your content through the windows and other gadgets constituting the Services, you give Google a perpetual license to copy, distribute, create derivative works based on, perform, display, and otherwise use the content in connection with the Services.

7. Google Proprietary Rights and Software

… If Google provides you with access to downloadable software to enable you to use the Services, the software may include periodic updates which you should always accept and install to continue to use the Services. … (my emphasis)

8. Information Rights

Google may retain and use, subject to the terms of the Google Privacy Policy, all information you provide, including but not limited to Web site demographics and contact information. You agree that Google may transfer and disclose to third parties personally identifiable information about you for the purpose of approving and enabling your use of the Services, including to third parties that reside in jurisdictions with less restrictive data laws than your own. … Google disclaims all responsibility, and will not be liable to you, however, for any disclosure of that information by any such third party. …

Coaching moment: Being someone’s “friend” is a decision based on lots of possible motivations: do you know the person, do you believe in or support that person’s work, is it a cool thing among your peers to be a “friend” in those circles, do you wish you knew the person, etc.

Being a friend is also a matter of timing: are you a friend today? The reality is that many friends come and go. I understand, and this site is open to that.

Being a friend is also a matter of purpose. Are you learning things here and wish to be a part of the conversation? Welcome! Are you a friend because you want to game the system to your own selfish advantage, like spammers and trolls? Not welcome.

What does it mean to you to be someone’s friend?

Close Bookmark and Share This Page

Save to Browser Favorites / Bookmarks