Social Networking Meets Open Source

Check out this article on open source applications for social networking sites.

Ringside Networks has launched a Social Application Server that is "the first open source platform that enables website owners to build and deploy social applications that operate with existing website content and business applications while seamlessly integrating with social networks such as Facebook."

According to the article:

"The idea is to make it easier to add social application features, like user profiles, friends, and groups, to existing Web sites and to create close interoperability with Facebook, where there are 19,000 third-party applications.

Applications written for Ringside Networks' "social application engine" will run on Facebook. People can also share information with Facebook, such as user log-ins."

According to the company, this provides three key advantages:

• Maximizes existing investments by making corporate websites and business applications socially aware.
• Ensures social applications can be customized to meet the unique needs of your business.
• Leverages your existing corporate website brand, look and feel.

To Technorella, two things about this new application are most interesting.

First, I think it's interesting that Ringside is focusing mainly on Facebook (versus other social networking sites like MySpace) with this application. It seems like Facebook is rapidly becoming the de facto social networking site of choice.

Second, and most obviously, is the use of open source technology in the social networking arena. It's nice to see Tim Burners-Lee's vision of "open everything" continuing to dominate the online world.