By Lindsay Blakely
Will Facebook join forces with Google (GOOG) and embrace OpenSocial, it’s open standard for creating the new “social web?”
It turns out the popular social network hasn’t even been asked. “Despite reports, Facebook has still not been briefed on OpenSocial,” Brandee Barker, Facebook spokesperson, said this afternoon. “When we have had a chance to understand the technology, then Facebook will evaluate participation relative to the benefits to its 50 million users and 100,000 platform developers.”
Earlier this week, Google had given the impression that it had tried to enlist Facebook in its coalition. In an interview with us on Tuesday night, Joe Kraus, project manager for OpenSocial was asked if Facebook had been invited to participate. “I can’t talk specifically about who we have and have not approached,” Kraus replied. “Obviously, we would love to have them participate.”
So let’s get this straight: Google would love to have Facebook join OpenSocial, but never bothered to ask? That’s not very social, guys.
–Josh Quittner contributed to this post.