Facebook Connect is the next big thing?
  • Mark_OvermarsMark_Overmars
    Posts: 28
    has anyone started creating or working on a facebook connect add-on for vanilla 2. im working on this now, it would be very good for vanilla because phpbb and other community open source softwares have nearly implemented this important add-on. thanks
  • MarkMark
    Posts: 4,880
    I did some looking into this addon recently. The most difficult part is that for each implementation, the administrator will need to set up a fb app (and associated api key) to get the addon working. It's not like you'll just be able to turn on and addon and have it work (correct me if I'm wrong).

    I definitely think this is an important add-on. I'm also thinking of related open-social addons, though. Wondering if there is a generic format we can adopt that can work for every open-social connection method.
  • garymardellgarymardell
    Posts: 815
    The only/easiest maybe solution for a format that can work for every open social connection would be to create something similar to a service like https://rpxnow.com/
  • SubJunkSubJunk
    Posts: 656
    Ugh I hate those API key thingymajiggers
  • garymardellgarymardell
    Posts: 815
    Yeah, but i was just saying that its the only real way to provide it with a generic format.
  • fredwufredwu
    Posts: 18
    An open source alternative to rpxnow would be very nice. :-)

    Too bad rpxnow is a proprietary system.
  • Mark_OvermarsMark_Overmars
    Posts: 28
    im working on the facebook connect thing now, first im going to implent it on my site then make another as an app for vanilla devlopers to noodle around with @mark yeh the api and secret thingy are the trickiest bits. but well give it a go
  • MarkMark
    Posts: 4,880
    Glad to hear it, @Mark_Overmars!
  • BlakeXBlakeX
    Posts: 12
    OpenID?
  • LouisLouis
    Posts: 88
    Yeah, @BlakeX is on the right track. OpenID means 0-signup, it just works, with every provider but Facebook and Microsoft, last I checked. That means you can login with AOL, Yahoo, Google/Gmail, and so many others. I wrote some code last year while trying to get the big three (Microsoft, OpenID, Facebook) to work together in Ruby. And let me tell ya, it wasn't fun.

    For Microsoft you don't ever get to keep the data if I recall correctly, and for Facebook you can only keep it for 24 hours. So you should be pinging every 24 hours or on-request for new Facebook avatars etc.-- and even then, you might need to ask for additional permissions to do so and any data given to you from their Facebook profile belongs to Facebook and must not be cached so it always says what Facebook has.

    It makes sense, but it inverts the profile model we have now, where the app has the data. Essentially, Facebook and Microsoft (and anything more complicated than OpenID) puts limits on what you can do as an app and both making things easier and harder than just a simple Single-Sign-On (SSO) solution. So the trouble arose when I realised I'd have to both maintain a User account setup as well as the code required to import and refresh that of Facebook profiles, etc.

    Then there's the account linking of multiple profiles, and resetting passwords or getting email permissions, and ... I just kind of gave up on Facebook Connect at that point. Still worth looking in to, especially since there's probably more written for PHP than any other language out there.
  • [-Stash-][-Stash-]
    Posts: 2,610
    And OAuth ;)
  • formlovesformloves
    Posts: 27
    The facebook connect plugin I'm using for WordPress just uses the mobile email address to publish. Not very sophisticated, but it gets the content from my blog to the FB page. Might be a place to start for a Vanilla plugin?
  • bobthemanbobtheman
    Posts: 430
    while facebook connect may currently seem intriguing, i think the key word is Currently. If we would of had this discussion three years ago the talk of the town was Myspace, so on and so forth. Facebook is popular for now, until something else comes along to take its place.

    Not to mention from my understanding, facebook tends to bring about changes and updates with little notice to third party developers, leaving mods/plugins/addons inoperable.
  • RaizeRaize
    Posts: 695
    I would prefer more Twitter oriented features (such as those already being adopted) rather than Facebook. I never thought Mr Zuckerberg would let it happen, but Facebook is headed down the same path that lead to MySpace's eventual decline. Bloat, spam, noise...kinda sucks but oh well...it has outlived it's usefulness but Forums will always live on.
  • [-Stash-][-Stash-]
    Posts: 2,610
    I don't think it really matters whether you like Facebook or not (I don't), but to ignore Facebook Connect, at this stage, would potentially massively reduce the total number of people who may sign up to any Vanilla forum.

    There's millions of people who use Facebook, so why not make it easy for them to use Vanilla Forums?
  • RaizeRaize
    Posts: 695
    I don't view Vanilla and Facebook as mutually exclusive services...people go to Facebook for a different reason then they go to Forums, so a forum doesn't necessarily need to be dependent on Facebook for growth. I'm just saying that Facebook will be a less important source of traffic in the upcoming years.

    I do agree that Facebook connect has 2 potential benefits for any site that chooses to implement it, namely a reduced barrier for registration and the ability to attract news feed traffic from Facebook. However, these benefits do come at a cost which may or may not be worth it depending on your marketing strategy.
  • RaizeRaize
    Posts: 695
    Not to mention that Vanilla is extremely lightweight, whereas Facebook connect is not.
  • bobthemanbobtheman
    Posts: 430
    Now, if it were possible to develop an open source plugin that allows for multiple platform authentication "sorta like rpxnow"... this would be interesting. rather or not its in the best interest for the vanilla project is a different story.

    I think in the long run you will notice basically web trends, myspace today, facebook tomarrow, something else down the road. Facebook now works with OpenID

    http://mashable.com/2009/05/18/facebook-openid-2/

    OpenID support may be a viable option to look into
  • GumCloudGumCloud
    Posts: 11
    Disqus.com uses the same concept for its commenting system and found a way on how to prevent users from manually applying for the API key in Facebook.

    I hope this would be possible in vanilla 2:)
  • bobthemanbobtheman
    Posts: 430
    @Mark
    ive noticed that applications like gwibber http://www.gwibber.com have included facebook integration without all the api facebook app stuff. Also, pidgin http://www.pidgin.im supports facebook chat also through xmpp
  • coolgatescoolgates
    Posts: 30
    Bump - anyone had any luck with this? Is there an Add-on available? I'd be willing to plunk down some $ for someone to develop Facebook Connect integration.
  • pmarchandpmarchand
    Posts: 24
    Still no facebook addon developped?
  • BaluBalu
    Posts: 6
    So has this idea been dumped? Is it because it's impossible to make such a plugin or has no one really tried?
  • phreakphreak
    Posts: 138
    Huhuhu... are the ghosts still awake. ;)
  • TimTim
    Posts: 1,547
    We're working on it internally.

    Vanilla Forums Senior Developer [GitHub, Twitter, About.me]

  • coolgatescoolgates
    Posts: 30
    Don't tease us - because that would be amazing! Thanks @Tim.
  • vizionaviziona
    Posts: 58
    @Tim
    could you give us some pessimistic ETA?
    2 months, 6 months?
  • TimTim
    Posts: 1,547
    2 weeks or so

    Vanilla Forums Senior Developer [GitHub, Twitter, About.me]

  • bobthemanbobtheman
    Posts: 430
    as the world of tech and web application changes and develops so fast, ive found a new project that is promising and interesting as far as facebook connect and authentication methods are concerned. Diaspora

    http://www.joindiaspora.com

    Its opensource, privacy aware, and supports and promotes interoperability. It allows you, if you want to publish information to other social networking frameworks like facebook, so on and so forth. Its interesting to look into. Though facebook may be the leading social networking site at the moment, its important to realize others will come around and challenge its existence, this is the nature of tech. If we, as a community are going to implement any new form of user authentication, then we should do it with the communities best interest. Opensource, and control over our own privacy and information. I like openID. I for one dont trust facebook.
  • TimTim
    Posts: 1,547
    OpenID: 2 weeks
    Facebook: 2 weeks
    Twitter: 2 weeks

    Vanilla Forums Senior Developer [GitHub, Twitter, About.me]

  • TimTim
    Posts: 1,547
    But remember, OpenID sucks and is the devil's handiwork. Just sayin'.

    Vanilla Forums Senior Developer [GitHub, Twitter, About.me]

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