I'd like to reiterate my call for Facebook to open source the Friendfeed codebase (as AOL did when it bought Netscape). A federated OpenFriendfeed is the best for users - and fits Facebook's move toward an open social platform. I'll pay to run a server. Would you?
I can't imagine that the terms of the acquisition would permit this to happen. Oh, wait... Facebook take FriendFeed open source? Maybe in two or three years after they squeeze every bit of life out of it, ala Google/Jaiku
- Ken Sheppardson
Would that mean there would be dozens of Friendfeeds all trying to get us to come to them?
- Mark
I don't think I'd pay, but I'd love to have it open source
- Jake Anderson
Worked for AOL. We got Mozilla and they got a much improved Netscape.
- Leo Laporte
Leo, I think you have a little too much "hope" on this. Maybe you're just thinking if Facebook was smart, then they'd do that.
- Mark
Facebook is much smarter than you're giving them credit for. I think.
- Leo Laporte
great idea Leo, i'm 'cautiously optimistic' at this point in time about the future of FriendFeed... lets hope for the best people
- Chris Heath
There is no value in that to them. Why open source something that give them a competitive edge.
- binmugahid
I do not agree. It destroyed netscape. let Facebook use the best features of FriendFeed in it. Keep the talent like the four ex-google founders. Open source is not the answer to everything. sometimes Closed Source is better for the users as well. Just keep the innovations coming and it will be fine
- hasanahmad
They've got the Friendfeed team. That's probably what they really wanted. Getting the open source community working on the FF codebase and contributing it back to Facebook is a win for everyone.
- Leo Laporte
On the other hand, I ike to see Laconica (identi.ca) getting more like ff.
- Chanux
Open-sourcing Communicator may have ultimately destroyed Netscape as a brand but without that move, I suspect we'd all still be developing for IE6. Great call, Leo.
- Jared Smith
You're assuming that Facebook bought the company JUST to get the developers, and not because they want to integrate many/most of the features into their service. If they want the features, they don't want a bunch of clones competing with them.
- Joel Bennett
I'll send you a hefty donation for that Leo.
- jcunwired
bravestface: That's not FB's fault you let them in. sheesh.
- Gus
when will twitter be back up any 1 know
- daveccorey
There already is an open source clone of twitter - see identi.ca and laconia or whatever it's called
- Doug Holton
True. very True Gus. My own fault. Perhaps I need to setup an Alias account that encompasses what i really want
- bravestface
I already run a Laconica server at http://army.twit.tv - I don't think we need another Twitter clone. We need something more like Friendfeed. Or maybe Wave will be the answer.
- Leo Laporte
hay hay hay, sin duda un tema un tanto escabrozo, pero entre Facebook y Google, esto no lleva a nada bueno.. i'ts a hard theme, no doubt about that, but between facebook and google we are going to hell !!!!!!
- Đoи яамoη
The Wave *protocal* might be a part of the answer... or just giving yourself over to whatever Google wants you to use might work (i.e. Wave, Reader, Gtalk, etc.)... but I don't really see Wave asdirect 1-for-1 FF replacement.
- Ken Sheppardson
They open sourced the Facebook code base (fbopen)... the license is very restrictive, however. FB owns all code modifications. Probably be the same license for FF.
- Kurt
In know people that have replaced their email with Twitter....that just isn't right...we need one locator that many systems can reach
- bravestface
Great idea Leo. Now let's see what they do, if they're listening.
- Kelly Mitchell
Leo - your last comment is why I think Facebook bought Friendfeed: "We need something more like Friendfeed. Or maybe Wave will be the answer." This is going to be a product they will launch in opposition of Google Wave. It will surface Q1 of 2010 and will have some of the same features that Wave has - but be closed sourced to Facebook.
- Jeff Vreeland
I see what you mean. Facebook and Google though don't really open source their web apps
- Doug Holton
Facebook doesn't seem to have a good reputation with those kind of thing. Facebook promised to open their chat/IM system via XMPP. More than a year has passed since they announced this XMPP system it still did not happen. We still have to rely on screen-scraping methods to implement Facebook chat on third-party IM systems (like the 3rd party Facebook chat plugin for pidgin called pidgin-facebook).
- Gideon Guillen
I would love to see friendfeed become opensource. Mostly as a developer I would love to see the code. See how friendfeed works.
- mikemcmullan
An "open FriendFeed" could be Facebook's chance to get something lined up to compete with Google Wave. Without it, Google and Twitter are going to own the real-time communication space.
- Derek Gathright
OS FF would be awesome, but making it a federated service is an entirely different ball of wax. Just ask the Wave guys. They said during the original IO presentation that federation was one of the harder parts (though FF would be easier w/o the real time editing piece, but still).
- Patrick Sullivan
I think a integrated RSS/FB/FF/GW/Twitter client will be an interesting real time inflection point
- Jim Posner
I totally agree Leo. I can't help but think that this deal is going to be a massive success or a massive flop - nothing in the middle! It's simple things like opening the FF source that can help make it a massive success IMHO.
- Chris Cathcart
correction: Http://www.openstreetmap.org
- D Lets
from iPhone
I would just like to see the real-time commenting open-sourced.
- patrick
wow Leo you sure know how to get a topic started
- Joe Geeting
I would. It is hard using Friendfeed now not knowing its fate.
- Hunt
from BuddyFeed
I actually was hoping Twitter would be the one to grab it up. Seems like a natural progression for Twitter to make. I just hope Facebook doesn't bury it and they actually use it. As far as open source it? Could be interesting.
- Michael Bower
In a secure and closed environment it could be a powerful communication/collaboration tool for businesses. Features of a chat, but persistent. Ability to share photos & files...
- Ken Bauer
I would love for this to happen. Federated Friendfeed servers would be quite fun and is the logical step for a great Internet service which aggregates disparate information from all over.
- rob friedman
You know what, Jaiku was open sourced. And nobody uses it anymore. The fact that "it" (FB open sourcing FF) will happen or not is completely irrelevant. Because you will all be hopping on the next early adopter miracle train (read:service) anyway. So stop whining and move on. Federated this, federated that. identi.ca tried that. Again, no users. It's nice to talk the talk. Especially at times like this. You just gotta walk the darn walk afterwards. Which people usually forget to do.
- Vlad Bobleanta
Whoa... you should enhance your calm. Communities are finicky things and sources like Microsoft that are poo-pooing Open Source IMHO is the real problem. Me thinks that a better source of education to dissipate the FUD floating in the global porcelain bowel instead of modern political tactics are are needed to solve real problems.
- Myrddin Emrys
If FriendFeed went open source identi.ca / lamonica would be dealt a serious blow. FriendFeed could become even more powerful if the people could tinker with the code and add many features that remain missing, or strengthen features that currently are weak. It will be interesting to se how FB utilizes their newest acquisition...
- Randy Shapiro
It's official. The Feds are pissed, too. On Thursday, a federal judge did what many of us have wanted to do for a long time now. He handed out restraining orders to two companies the Federal Trade Commission says have been calling you, me, all your friends, your 90-year-old blind grandmother, and anyone else without enough sense to ignore unidentified phone calls.