Quick Introduction

[Diego]

OpenSocial provides a common set of APIs for social applications across multiple websites. With standard JavaScript and HTML, developers can create apps that access a social network's friends and update feeds.

Many sites, one API
Common APIs mean you have less to learn to build for multiple websites. OpenSocial is currently being developed by Ning in conjunction with members of the web community. The ultimate goal is for any social website to be able to implement the APIs and host 3rd party social applications. Apart from Ning, there are many websites implementing OpenSocial, including Google’s Orkut, Engage.com, Friendster, hi5, Hyves, imeem, LinkedIn, MySpace, Oracle, Plaxo, Salesforce.com, Six Apart, and many others.

Leading application developers, including Slide, RockYou, iLike and Flixster, will be deploying applications written using the OpenSocial APIs.

Get Started!
We’ve released the OpenSocial container beta functionality to all Ning Networks.

If You’re a Developer
You can create a widget and host it anywhere on the web, and then submit it to us for inclusion in the Ning OpenSocial gadget directory. You can also host your Gadget in a Ning application, for ease of development and simplicity of management.

If You’re A Ning Network Creator
You can activate OpenSocial Gadget Support on any Ning network and check your network’s “Gadgets” tab for Gadgets to add to your profile page. Additionally, check the Ning OpenSocial gadget directory at http://opensocial.ning.com/ for gadgets, ratings and reviews.

Other Containers
Google’s Orkut has opened a limited sandbox that you can use to test apps that use the OpenSocial APIs. Click here to get more information on Google’s Orkut sandbox and their documentation.

[Al]

Do you guys currently, or will you support the REST parts of the Open Social API?

[Diego]

Hi Al,

We're evaluating that and talking to Google and others about it, particularly since the REST endpoints for the API were not stable until last night.

Compared to others we are in a unique position in that that Ning already has a set of Atom APIs that are more generic and overlap with the gdata portion of the API, While creating a wrapper may not be a huge deal, maintaining that may. :)

In the end, we may add this support -- it's just that right now things are moving incredibly fast and we'd like to take a breather. We will have an answer on this in the next couple of days.

thanks for your patience!

[VAlocal Alliance]

Will OpenSocial mean that I can create a gadget that queries my network's member data and ports it into a Google Map? I'm a n00b...be kind. (this assumes that I require new members to supply me with a zipcode or some other georef info)

[Diego]

Hi,

Eventually, this is exactly the functionality you should be able to create. Right now however the information you get from the API is limited to the owner of the widget and the viewer (including friends), so what you could do immediately is create a map of where friends are, using the storage functions of the API to request their location. Hope this helps!

d

[Yusuke Kawasaki]

_gel() function is available in Ning's gadget box.
However, _hesc() and other core functions in Google Gadgets API below are unavailable.
http://code.google.com/apis/gadgets/docs/reference.html#Core
Do you have plan to support these functions for OpenSocial applications' compatibility?

[Brad Williams]

Where/How do you submit a widget for inclusion in the Ning OpenSocial gadget directory

[Phil McCluskey]

Hi Brad,

The best way to submit your widget for inclusion is through the Help Center.

Thanks,
Phil

[Absynt]

Any news abut ning support to REST part of OpenSocial API ?

Andre

[Mark Gaither]

Diego:

What is the status of this? My members are asking for a "Members Map". Thanks in advance.

[Reinier Cornelis]

Hello, I'm also new to Ning.
I would like to know if

a. it is possible to import/link your profile from Hyves with your Ning-profile
b. it the NING-banners are also OpenSocial. I wasn't able to add a Ning-banner as a gadget to my Hyves-Profile.

Can anyone help?

thanks

[soujanya]

Is the OpenSocial container (beta) for Ning Networks down.

We are getting this error :
---------------------------------------------------
HTTP ERROR: 500

Got an invalid secure token (null)

RequestURI=/gadgets/ifr

Powered by Jetty://
--------------------------------------------------------

Can somebody give some info regarding this.This was giving this error since the last few days.

Regards,
Soujanya