12.05.08

Google Friend Connect

I have to admit that when I first read about Google Friend Connect yesterday morning, I had no idea what it was all about. I knew it offered widgets (gadgets) for websites with the intention of connecting people, but I didn’t quite understand exactly how it made that happen.

That is, until now. But first, let’s talk about the features and tools the new Google Friend Connect provides.

To start, let me just say that I’m VERY impressed with the social community mindset with Google Friend Connect. It’s good to see Google looking in this direction, and knowing that they’ve joined forces with the OpenSocial developer community is a huge plus.

Watch the Google Friend Connect video here

The run down…
* Sign in with their Google, Yahoo, AIM or OpenID account.
* Interact with other visitors by making friends, sharing media, posting comments, playing games, and more.
* Invite friends from other social networks and contact lists to join your site or blog.

So, in essence, it’s like Blogrolling on steroids. I didn’t figure this out until I actually installed the gadget on this blog. Once I installed it and starting inviting people, I realized what it does.

The specific gadget that we’re using here at Social Media Platoon displays the profile image of the individual member of our blog. When you click on that image, you get information provided on that particular Google profile. Plus, you can see what other sites the person is a member of.

What this means is that I get a lot more information about the people who visit this site often and consider themselves “members”. I know what their websites are, I know their backgrounds, and I know the other sites they are members of.

We’re only using the friend connect gadget, but there are several others you can inject in to your site. Once of the gadgets I saw allows your readers to leave comments and media (sort of like a shout box on steroids). There was another one that makes it possible for visitors to rate and comment on your site.

I think this is a fantastic way for sites, visitors, and friends to interact. From what I’ve seen so far, these tools (and I’m sure Google will release a lot more in the near future) do a great job of seeding the growth of authentic online community.

1) Click on the widget in the sidebar to the left and join this site

2) Go check out Google Friend Connect

-Eric Odom

14 Responses to “Google Friend Connect”

1. CassandraTroy Says:
   December 5th, 2008 at 3:17 pm

   After having tried in vain to download and upload the code for a few hours I signed up to the Google help group, who complain the thing needs to get way simpler if it is to catch on with non-techies like myself. So unless you care to leave instructions how you managed it yourselves, it is perhaps a little early in the day to promote the Friend Connect.

2. Eric Odom Says:
   December 5th, 2008 at 3:22 pm

   Cassandra, what are you trying to install it on? Perhaps I can help.

3. CassandraTroy Says:
   December 5th, 2008 at 4:30 pm

   Thanks Eric, I’m trying to install it on my 2 Blogger blogs and on a Ning social site, but I never get there. I’m stuck where I have to download the code from Google: download where? upload what where? From what I understand from the technical discussions of the help group (http://groups.google.com/group/google-friend-connect-discussion-group?hl=en) the browser might play some role (I use Firefox). Thanks.

4. CassandraTroy Says:
   December 5th, 2008 at 5:04 pm

   Just received this (perhaps better to leave it until ready): “I put the FriendConnect on my home page at http://www.AirportGuide.com
   and it mangled my page beyond disbelief in IE6 on Win XP and it won’t
   display in Safari or Firefox on a Mac. Time to remove it until it’s
   ready for primetime.”

5. Eric Odom Says:
   December 5th, 2008 at 6:47 pm

   Well, this is the first bit of problems I’ve seen with it. I’ve now seen five other blogs running the application today and they all seem to be working with it.

   I’m not sure how you would do it with Blogger because you don’t have access to the server. Sounds like a question for Google help groups.

   Sorry it hasn’t worked out for you. Hopefully Google can give you a hand and get you up and running.

   

6. Blue Collar Muse Says:
   December 5th, 2008 at 11:32 pm

   Google Friend Finder doesn’t work with Blogger? Is that a bit of a disconnect to anyone else besides me? After all, Google owns Blogger!

   Perhaps your blog is older and not upgraded to the newer BlogSpot versions? That might have something to do with it? What did they call the upgrade - Blogger 2.0 or some such? From around a year ago?

   Still, with all the old Blogger blogs out there, many of them still being regularly updated, you would think they would have either made the new widget compatible or issued some sort of general announcement or disclaimer …

   Blue Collar Muse’s last blog post..Google Friend Connect

7. Scott Whtie Says:
   December 6th, 2008 at 7:36 am

   I got it to work just fine. On my sites.

   It may not work on Blogger, or WordPress.com because of the need to add two files to the root directory on the server.

   Scott

   Scott Whtie’s last blog post..Google Friend Connect

8. News Platoon − Coming January 2009! Says:
   December 6th, 2008 at 8:35 am

   [...] RSS Feed here, or you can sign up for it via the Social Media Platoon blog. We also have the new Google Friend Connect gadget running on our blog, so be sure to join there as well (see lower left [...]

9. News Platoon Status Blog » Blog Archive » Social Media Platoon Says:
   December 6th, 2008 at 8:38 am

   [...] RSS Feed here, or you can sign up for it via the Social Media Platoon blog. We also have the new Google Friend Connect gadget running on our blog, so be sure to join there as well (see lower left [...]

10. Daltonsbriefs Says:
    December 6th, 2008 at 3:23 pm

    Google friend connect “does” work on blogger, I installed on my site this morning.

    Actually blogger already has the download files, so you just keep moving thru that step without having to do anything. Same ole widget code thing as normal after that.

11. frog Says:
    February 12th, 2009 at 7:37 am

    Hi,

    I’m having problems downloading the two files to the root directory of my blog registered under wordpress.com.
    Can anyone help? or can we only upload from a self hosted blog?
    thanks to all.
    frog

    frog’s last blog post..We knew Google was evil… but this is just nuts!

12. gfcdirectory.com » Blog Archive » Google Friend Connect Says:
    February 16th, 2009 at 5:49 am

    [...] here to see the original: Google Friend Connect View gfcdirectory’s Profile      Subscribe via RSS RelatedBookmarksTags [...]

13. LeraJenkins Says:
    June 21st, 2009 at 10:02 pm

    The amusing moment

14. PeterMontee Says:
    July 2nd, 2009 at 4:28 pm

    It is remarkable, very useful piece

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