Social Times - Latest Comments in FriendFeed Launches API, Can They Take on Facebook?

Re: FriendFeed Launches API, Can They Take on Facebook?

David Henderson — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 18:31:14 -0000

Let me get this straight Facebook has how many users and FriendFeed has how many users? The average high school and college student uses how many social services?

We are not the general social user. We are the blogger early adopter bleeding edgers TechCrunchers....we're the only ones with feed overload... :-) about 300 - 500K of us.... you can not scale a business on this audience size.

Do a survey on Facebook and ask how many of the users have even heard of FriendFeed or SocialThing or even Twitter... you will be amazed! :-)

Re: FriendFeed Launches API, Can They Take on Facebook?

Justin Thorp — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 14:52:18 -0000

Ugh... too often it's pitting one thing against the other when I don't think they're the same animal.

One BIG aspect of FB is that gives users a face to the world. There is a whole industry around MySpace profile's because it's seen as self expression.

Nick, there are plenty of folks who aren't as Web savvy as you. Their FB or MySpace profile may be their only representation to the rest of the world. This is something twitter or friendfeed doesn't do at all.

Re: FriendFeed Launches API, Can They Take on Facebook?

Corvida — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:19:36 -0000

I highly doubt FriendFeed did this as a direct strike to Facebook since both services serve different purposes.

Facebook could learn quite a bit from FriendFeed, but I just don't see them as direct competitors, even with similar features. The PURPOSES are different.

Re: FriendFeed Launches API, Can They Take on Facebook?

Neil @ Facebook Insight — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 23:16:26 -0000

This is definitely something to watch as it grows. If FriendFeed introduces a usable friend-list and messaging service, then it will be able to attract a large market. If they then theoretically tie in with Orkut or somehow get a photo application running, it will be an open version of Facebook. Instead of applications, people will just create websites based on the FriendFeed API.

Still a long way to go, but FF is moving at such a rapid pace that everyone should keep an eye open for them.

Re: FriendFeed Launches API, Can They Take on Facebook?

Brad — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 22:08:54 -0000

Very cool! My only concern with a FriendFeed API is double posting. If I publish an update for my site SnapFoo to FriendFeed and also to Twitter, and the user has both publishing to FriendFeed than there will be a double post.

Either way I'll be sure to integrate it and let my users decide!