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Apple-Facebook Controversy Over Ping Rooted in API Usage, Feature May Return

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Apr 12, 2001
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Earlier today, we reported on confusion surrounding the brief appearance of Facebook Connect functionality in iTunes 10's "Ping" social networking feature that initially appeared to allow users to find friends by checking their Facebook contacts. The feature quickly disappeared from Ping without explanation from Apple.

All Things Digital now follows up with a report claiming that the disappearance is due to Apple's unauthorized usage of the Facebook Connect application programming interfaces (APIs) after the two companies failed to reach a deal regarding access.
According to sources familiar with Facebook's platform, the social networking giant essentially denied Apple's Ping access to application programming interfaces that would allow it to search for an iTunes user's friends on Facebook who also had signed up for Ping.

Normally, this API access is open and does not require permission.

That is, unless some entity wants to access it a lot. In that case, Facebook requires an agreement for reasons primarily centered on protection of Facebook user data and, of course, infrastructure impact.

With 160 million iTunes users, that could mean a possibility of a lot of impact.
Click to expand...
With the two companies were unable to reach a deal over Ping's access to the APIs, Apple apparently deployed the functionality anyway, but it was quickly blocked by Facebook for violation of its terms of service. Apple then removed the non-functioning feature entirely.

According to the report, Facebook and Apple remain in discussions about bringing Facebook Connect connectivity to Ping, so it may make a reappearance at some point in the future.

Article Link: Apple-Facebook Controversy Over Ping Rooted in API Usage, Feature May Return
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2010/09/02/apple-facebook-controversy-over-ping-rooted-in-api-usage-feature-may-return/
Facebook is nothing more than a directory of contacts at this point.
It is time for users to liberate that information. The FB website is useless.
 
Wow, fail on apples part, should have come to an agreement before pushing the release.

That said, this will end up in Apple's favor, no question.
 
"...Facebook requires an agreement for reasons primarily centered on protection of Facebook user data..."

Facebook? Concerned about user data? Haha!
 
Looks like Apple got the App store treatment.

Violate Terms of Service, get yanked.
 
So I'm guessing the ping hate on this forum stems from the Facebook hate? I think the feature is a major plus.
 
Any direct connection with FB brings Apple questionable reputation. I would regret that deeply.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Facebook

I am trying to delete my FB account since two months without any success. Don't send your (and even more important: your contact's) real names and addresses to any dubious server. Never! (BTW I could manage it avoiding this with my Google and FB accounts but it's not easy.)

Maybe your contacts don't want to have their data there. You didn't ask them.
 
Fine for apple to integrate with facebook. But while people have railed against Apple as being evil or Google as being evil, or Microsoft as being evil, I say this:

Microsoft is down for the count, Google is starting to turn, but not beyond redemption, Apple is good, and being attacked for it, while Facebook is genuinely evil.

They got lots of signups with the promise that your data would only be seen by your friends.... then they changed the terms. That's fraud, in my book.

They won't let you delete the data either, and that counts as invasion of privacy in my book.

I can't wait for the end of facebook.
 
NOOO!

/Darth Vader

I was just about to post a thread asking how to find this again, I had connected it to my account right when Ping launched but none of my friends were on it yet, then I thought because I already connected it I couldn't search for my friends again. Well this sucks, I hope it returns, I don't know how else I will ever find my friends on Ping otherwise.
 
Apple over FB

Facebook stands to have millions of interactions but would control none of it once Apple got into FBs address book. FB might want a piece of that action in term$ and agreement$.

Still, Apple has the 160M addresses now and FB being API blocked, may slow FB's inroads allowing Apple/Ping to capitalize.

The true measure is how many artists use this new tech and how many simply avoide iTunes in favor of CD-only distribuiton. (John Cougar Melloncamp, Beatles, Jethro Tull).
 
pooryou said:
Facebook is nothing more than a directory of contacts at this point.
It is time for users to liberate that information. The FB website is useless.
Click to expand...

I couldn't disagree anymore. FB is a great tool for staying in touch with people. I use it to stay in touch with members of my family who live on the other side of the country, and the other side of the world. It's nice to be able to keep up on what is going on in the lives of loved ones and friends. It's also quickly becoming a family photo album. It's a lot more convenient to post photos of your vacation of FB than it is to email them out to people, IMO. FB also has been great for keeping up with friends and classmates over the summer.

Saying that FB is useless and is just a directory service makes absolutely no sense to me.

-Don
 
lifeinhd said:
"...Facebook requires an agreement for reasons primarily centered on protection of Facebook user data..."

Facebook? Concerned about user data? Haha!
Click to expand...

They'd rather you buy it from them, than get it for free. ;)
 
econgeek said:
snip...I can't wait for the end of facebook.
Click to expand...

+1
But it ain't gonna happen in the near future. You'd need a major data compromise before you even get the less OCD people to even pick their heads up out of their Facebook page. Too many gullible people who feel they can't live without it. It's strange how man made it this far without Facebook and Twitter. Somebody should make a spoof movie about a virus that only affects Facebook users:D
 
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