Has anyone else been paying attention to this service? Basically, it's a way to link all of your data and contacts from various social networks. A powerful sounding concept for sure, and I think it's a pretty interesting business problem.
On the surface, PA is definitely useful to anyone on multiple networks, assuming these networks will open their APIs and allow this whole thing to be. At a minimum, it would be nice to have a consolidated contact list of people I want to keep in touch with across networks. When I mention this service to friends/colleagues, they tend to respond with "Oh, neat, that's really useful." There are a million details for them to work out as to how to properly design the user experience, but I think the basic service (PA as an Identity Hub) is worthwile. This is particularly the case for services like LinkedIn. I don't go to LinkedIn to hang out or have fun or to meet cool people passionate about the same shit I am-I go there to keep track of business contacts. It's a tool, not an experience, and as such it lends itself to an aggregator like PA.
That said, what place is there for MOG in such an aggregated environment? Are the things that we love about MOG transferable to a general user interface/experience, or would they be too diluted by the compromises necessary to clearly and concisely deliver content from across the spectrum of social networks we're a part of? I tend to lean towards the latter case...
Anyways, it's Friday and it's been a long week at work and my head isn't in the right place to really analyze all the ins and outs of this particular service, how MOG might fit in, etc., so I open up the floor to everyone else.
My Trusted MOGs
I like PA in concept. In actually trying to use it, I find it difficult to do anything I find useful. It will be interesting to see if PA develops into something more user-friendly or if another competitor takes the idea and simplifies it.
You mention LinkedIn...I think they'll be one of the last to open their network. Who else is in that space that they'd be worried about competing with?
I want MOG to be open - it's inefficient for me to post the same message within MOG and another network. However, MOG may not want to be open...
My Trusted MOGs
I can't even post HTML to my MOG, right (outside of a blog entry)?
My Trusted MOGs
That's a good point about LI. From a user standpoint it would be nice to have those contacts rolled in with everything else...but I agree that they'd be reluctant to open their API.
My Trusted MOGs
You can post basic HTML. What're you trying to do exactly?
My Trusted MOGs
you need to standardize the protocal between the networks. i'd imagine the small ones would open up, but fox/myspace will never do it.
could be an interesting angle for other networks to form together in defense of the behemoth.