Analysis « DataPortability Blog

Facebook Embraces Data Portability – Again

By Steve Repetti, on May 26th, 2010%

Facebook issues strongest endorsement of Data Portability yet, saying the people own their own data. . . . → Read More: Facebook Embraces Data Portability – Again

Assessing the openess of Facebook’s “Open Graph Protocol”

By Elias Bizannes, on April 25th, 2010%

This is an analysis by DataPortability chairperson Elias Bizannes and former chairperson Chris Saad.

Summary In essence, Facebook is striving to create a web-wide semantic search engine and recommendation system based on a mix of open and closed technologies.

While some of the approaches are indeed open, the overall outcome is an attempt to . . . → Read More: Assessing the openess of Facebook’s “Open Graph Protocol”

Open Arms: a data portability approach

By Phil Wolff, on May 6th, 2009%

Caveat Lector: this is a rough draft of my thinking on what a Portability EULA/ToS should say/do/include. Please comment. In the EULA/ToS task force, we are exploring ways of explaining portability with simple analogies. – Phil

We’ve discussed Graceful Exit, the ability for people to control their departure from a site or . . . → Read More: Open Arms: a data portability approach

Facebook and Lumpy policy decisions

By Phil Wolff, on March 25th, 2009%

Rethinking your TOS/EULA is a pain in the neck. Nobody wants to divert attention, money or energy thinking about it. It seems like a serious distraction from making money and serving customers.

Looking at the 2009 Facebook policy hubbub, it’s a big deal. It sucks up attorney fees, management, press, even engineering into a . . . → Read More: Facebook and Lumpy policy decisions

Is Facebook’s Move to “Openness” Setting a de facto Standard?

By Steve Repetti, on February 7th, 2009%

Yesterday, Facebook took a further step in opening its network by introducing enhancements and new features to its developer APIs. Facebook’s new APIs make it easier for applications to update user statuses, links, and upload videos from outside of Facebook. This effort will likely generate a flurry of activity in the developer community as . . . → Read More: Is Facebook’s Move to “Openness” Setting a de facto Standard?

Graceful Exit: Yahoo!’s flickr evicts Shéhérazade

By Phil Wolff, on January 30th, 2009%

Flickr deleted a popular photographer’s collection. Thomas Hawk reports this eviction from start to finish. Arbitrary justifications, no notice, no appeal, no ability to restore the photos, deletion of third-party intellectual property (thousands of comments). It seems the justification was without merit.

Does your city give landlords this much power?

Should you have . . . → Read More: Graceful Exit: Yahoo!’s flickr evicts Shéhérazade

Graceful Exit: facebook evicts Nakedjen

By Phil Wolff, on January 30th, 2009%

Excerpt from a tragic exit, a story of online eviction from Facebook, without notice, merit, or recourse:

All was definitely not well.

Facebook obliterated Nakedjen.

Obliterated. Deleted. Made me disappear.

And they did it without any warning or even a simple email telling me that I had done something wrong.

My email to them . . . → Read More: Graceful Exit: facebook evicts Nakedjen

Graceful Exit: The Power to Fight Eviction

By Phil Wolff, on January 16th, 2009%

Online Eviction

Jason Scott’s Protection From Online Eviction? and his follow up post make the argument that services like AOL, MySpace, flickr, or Skype should be treated like landlords.

The power landlords have over tenants is overwhelming, unless restricted by law. The argument: if they want to shut down a service, essentially evicting users, . . . → Read More: Graceful Exit: The Power to Fight Eviction

Forget Open Standards

By Chris Saad, on January 11th, 2009%

Forget Open Standards…

Well, sort of. To date, the DataPortability project has often referred to its vision as “Open Standards based Data Portability”.

The problem, though, is that people don’t get why Open Standards are so important. Some even think that we’re advocating open standards for the sake of open standards. In . . . → Read More: Forget Open Standards

The “why” of Open Standards

By Elias Bizannes, on December 29th, 2008%

There’s a great book that you need to read if this whole data portability world perplexes you, called Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything by Don Tapscott and Anthony D. Williams. Suffice to say, it’s one of those Must Read books, but what I want to share is a story the boys wrote . . . → Read More: The “why” of Open Standards