MySpace and subsequently Facebook, committed to allowing their proprietary user information to be shared openly. This effort was done to appease the Data Portability Working Group in empowering users to better manage their experience. (And this is a good thing!)
I really have no other thoughts on this, except for a “Thank you.” Actually, I do have some tidbits to share on this.
Allowing users to control and better manage their data will probably help them control it better and understand the impact of inputting such data. You know, that kind of “Oh.” feeling when you realized you sent a mass-email to the whole office without the attachment.
While retaining user-contributed data and holding it hostage does help/mislead users into thinking you’re valuable, it doesn’t make them happier. I mean, look at AOL. Still to this day, a user can not easily export their address book, PFC and favorites to the real Internet. It is because of this a number of AOLers — whomever is left on the service — continue to stay.
It’s nice to see MySpace actually doing something good, first and in favor of their users. As usual, anything MySpace does, Facebook has to do (better). Let the information gathering, sharing and mashing up, begin!
