The Facebook effect: MySpace to open up

The Financial Times is reporting that MySpace may soon open itself up to third-party developers -- in a similar strategy to Facebook -- which would see outside companies able to "plug" their web services into the number one social networking site. This is of course in direct response to the huge success of Facebook's recently revamped developer platform which has seen hundreds of companies set up shop on the site. What's most interesting about such a response is that we are now moving into an era where the top networks are using their perceived "openness" as a way of competing -- and in MySpace's case, staying on top. But rather than focusing on opening up as the end game, it's ...