Since the announcement of OpenSocial there has been a lot of talk about the demise of Facebook. I personally believe that it is not close to the end for Facebook or it’s platform. OpenSocial is merely just a competitor, which helps even the playing field a little. There is no reason why the two cannot compete and both be used by developers. I am all for OpenSocial and the Facebook Platform.
If we take a look at the current state of internet usage in South Africa. Facebook is sitting in top spot at number 1 while MySpace and Hi5 are at positions 10 and 36 respectively.
3 Reasons Why OpenSocial Isn’t A Facebook Killer In South Africa
- Facebook Platform Is Mobile
Just over a week ago, Facebook announced that the mobile platform went live. This means that developers can enable mobile applications for Facebook. So far, OpenSocial doesn’t allow that. Another hiccup is that not all of the social networks adopting OpenSocial are accessible via mobile yet. The other social networks need to get their mobile sites up to scratch. - Centralised Mass vs. Decentralised Minority
Facebook has more South African users than MySpace and Hi5 combined, so the reach of OpenSocial vs. Facebook Platform is South Africa is in favour of Facebook. Roughly 2.4% of Facebook’s traffic comes from South Africa where as MySpace and Hi5 are receive below 0.5% of their traffic from South Africa. So the huge figures that all the other networks boast combined don’t really affect us locally. - Social vs. Open
Just because OpenSocial is more open doesn’t mean it will start making Facebook look less attractive, I believe it’s the social network that is that most social that will prevail. It’s clear that locally Facebook is more social than any of the others. Users have built up their Facebook profiles and friend lists, they have become accustomed to Facebook. There is no reason for them to move to another platform just yet, in fact at all.
So for the time being, if you want to create an application for a social network that appeals to South Africans then Facebook is the place. If you want to appeal to a global audience then you should consider using both OpenSocial and Facebook together to achieve maximum results. I am fan of OpenSocial but I seriously don’t think it is such a huge threat to Facebook.
Update: Blake Commagere, who has built quite a few successful Facebook applications, shares his thoughts on OpenSocial.
Tags: Facebook, social networking
I tend to agree. OpenSocial is possibly a long term threat to Facebook – that’s really why Google have launched it, as a defensive move – but as far as 99% of users out there are concerned, nothing has changed. Successful social networks are far more about community culture and critical mass than pure software. Sure, FB’s software is the market leader and that is a large component of their success, but in the end it’s the reality, solidity and quality of their community that really makes them so powerful. How many other networks can boast the same percentage of users with real names? LinkedIn is one, but they have nowhere near FB’s reach or scale. OpenSocial may signal a longterm sea change – in SA and the rest of the world – but in the short term, it means precious little.
Hmmm… I think citing present day figures is a bit of an error. There’s no disputing that FaceBook trashes OpenSocial NOW. That’s because OpenSocial is currently still vaporware.
The importance of OpenSocial isn’t over the next few months. It’s over the next 10 to 24 months that its influence gets felt.
As soon as the apps and platforms start flowing, FaceBook is toast. UNLESS FaceBook opens up.
Blue skies, love, Roy
I am wondering where you obtained your data on the number of South Africans who have MySpace profiles. Though Facebook may have more South African users by percent, I doubt there are more South Africans overall on Facebook than MySpace. I’m doing a research project involving South Africa and social networking, and was wondering if you could help me figure out exactly how many South Africans have MySpace profiles…
Any help would be much appreciated!