MySpace and Data Portability

MySpace will be supporting very open data portability standards which will make it easy to share information across different websites with a single login as well as other excellent features. This is separate from the Open Social initiative which will also be supported by Myspace but represents the same type of open, data sharing approach that is becoming a key component of "best practices" for online development and interaction.

Ben Metcalfe is a key player in all this and will certainly be a great steward of the project. He's a very knowlegeable social media consultant and participant, spearheaded work at the BBC's superb website, and most importantly can be trusted to make sure these standards are not co-opted or abused by the major players.

It's very exciting to see the shift from guarded, proprietary approaches to openness. Ironically the general principles of open standards formed the foundation of the early internet but as commercialism, big money, and search optimization started to rule the internet we saw less transparency, less user-centric behavior, and a lot more BS. Open standards represent a step back to a friendlier, more functional, and more personal online experience.