Facebook tears down part of its walled garden

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Another thing that Facebook just released is embeddable videos. TechCrunch covers that part.

But they missed how important a change in direction this is for Facebook.

This means that I can embed videos on blogs from Facebook and make those videos available to everyone.

Facebook now is a YouTube competitor and one that has a huge advantage: you know a LOT about the people who publish the videos on Facebook due to their strict rules and the social network — you can click on each person who uploaded video and you can see who their friends are, which is very valuable to knowing whether the person who is publishing video is someone credible and who has authority with other people.

It also means that we no longer have to visit Facebook to interact with an important data type kept there.

To me that’s huge and worth underscoring. Will Facebook continue opening up its walled garden? Interesting to see this in light of Facebook’s other battle with Google over how it’ll open up its social graph data.

Fast Company’s video with Facebook’s Chris Putnam explains the new embedding system along with the new HD video quality they just turned on.

Nice to see Facebook opening up to the Web, though, and tearing down its walls. What do you think?

Published by Robert Scoble

I help entrepreneurs build their technology business' story, help with getting ready for investors, with other launch plans, and many other strategic things that can help your new startup. Call to talk: +1-425-205-1921 (text first).

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28 thoughts on “Facebook tears down part of its walled garden”

  1. This is an excellent point Robert. We all know that discussions and personal interactions on Youtube suck –they are 90% immature, spammy, etc. I think you’re right that the fact that you actual may KNOW the people posting, and can get them in context of their larger social life, makes facebook videos a potential serious competitor. This’ll be interesting….Facebook leaps out of the box!

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  2. This is an excellent point Robert. We all know that discussions and personal interactions on Youtube suck –they are 90% immature, spammy, etc. I think you’re right that the fact that you actual may KNOW the people posting, and can get them in context of their larger social life, makes facebook videos a potential serious competitor. This’ll be interesting….Facebook leaps out of the box!

    Like

  3. I see the value to Facebook (broader functionality = more link traffic) and I see the value to users (convenience), but the idea of knowing more about the person who posted the video on their blog adding value is kind of silly, don’t you think? We’re already on their blog. We know who they are.

    I can completely see Facebook’s interest (and I think it’s a great move on their part) but this isn’t exactly exciting for the rest of us.

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  4. I see the value to Facebook (broader functionality = more link traffic) and I see the value to users (convenience), but the idea of knowing more about the person who posted the video on their blog adding value is kind of silly, don’t you think? We’re already on their blog. We know who they are.

    I can completely see Facebook’s interest (and I think it’s a great move on their part) but this isn’t exactly exciting for the rest of us.

    Like

  5. First comment? This is strange indeed. Oh well, I must say I am thrilled to see facebook opening up. I have a lot of real-life friends there and only there. But I keep forgetting about the site because of the wall. I would love to make it part of the rest of my life.

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  6. First comment? This is strange indeed. Oh well, I must say I am thrilled to see facebook opening up. I have a lot of real-life friends there and only there. But I keep forgetting about the site because of the wall. I would love to make it part of the rest of my life.

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  11. I think it will become a bit like the international car market, where every brand tries to make a car for every market.

    There is a reason people want to buy a Ferrari.

    I would prefer if companies would team up instead of compete.

    Thanks for drawing this breakthrough to our attention, It will be interesting to follow.

    Artmaker, here via twitter =)

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  12. I think it will become a bit like the international car market, where every brand tries to make a car for every market.

    There is a reason people want to buy a Ferrari.

    I would prefer if companies would team up instead of compete.

    Thanks for drawing this breakthrough to our attention, It will be interesting to follow.

    Artmaker, here via twitter =)

    Like

  17. I think it could be a good thing. It could be another way for some future movie makes to really get there work out to people. But, I do think that some old time Facebook users will frown upon Facebook the more that they open up to the web.

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  18. I think it could be a good thing. It could be another way for some future movie makes to really get there work out to people. But, I do think that some old time Facebook users will frown upon Facebook the more that they open up to the web.

    Like

  19. It’s quite dangerous to use facebook for business if you use it in your personal life as well.

    One individual wrote a e-mail, which was published in the forum of my country’s biggest national newspapers about the deterioration of our local language, and use of slang, general mannerisms of our people and immorality.

    Another reader looked up his facebook profile and pretended to become a friend to get more info on that particular guy. This so called friend then wrote to the same newspaper and criticized that person of being a hypocrite because of his misbehavior there.

    Or should you mix business with pleasure?

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  20. It’s quite dangerous to use facebook for business if you use it in your personal life as well.

    One individual wrote a e-mail, which was published in the forum of my country’s biggest national newspapers about the deterioration of our local language, and use of slang, general mannerisms of our people and immorality.

    Another reader looked up his facebook profile and pretended to become a friend to get more info on that particular guy. This so called friend then wrote to the same newspaper and criticized that person of being a hypocrite because of his misbehavior there.

    Or should you mix business with pleasure?

    Like

  21. You can only embed YOUR OWN VIDEOS.

    I was able to embed one one of my own videos on my blog, in HD:

    Facebook : White Squirrel at Jamaica Pond, Jamaica Plain, MA (HD)
    http://offonatangent.blogspot.com/2008/12/facebook-white-squirrel-at-jamaica-pond.html

    I was only able to embed someone else’s video by installing a Greasemonkey script in Firefox:

    Christmas Time Is Here from A Charlie Brown Christmas by Graham English
    http://offonatangent.blogspot.com/2008/12/christmas-time-is-here-from-charlie.html

    I see no embed code available on someone else’s video.

    The Facebook blog says:

    “You’ll also be able to take videos you’ve added to Facebook and embed them on other websites.”

    http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?blog_id=company

    Like

  22. You can only embed YOUR OWN VIDEOS.

    I was able to embed one one of my own videos on my blog, in HD:

    Facebook : White Squirrel at Jamaica Pond, Jamaica Plain, MA (HD)
    http://offonatangent.blogspot.com/2008/12/facebook-white-squirrel-at-jamaica-pond.html

    I was only able to embed someone else’s video by installing a Greasemonkey script in Firefox:

    Christmas Time Is Here from A Charlie Brown Christmas by Graham English
    http://offonatangent.blogspot.com/2008/12/christmas-time-is-here-from-charlie.html

    I see no embed code available on someone else’s video.

    The Facebook blog says:

    “You’ll also be able to take videos you’ve added to Facebook and embed them on other websites.”

    http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?blog_id=company

    Like

  27. Upload your video to Metacafe, and then embed it into your Facebook profile using the FB app “Posted Items Pro”.

    Like

  28. Upload your video to Metacafe, and then embed it into your Facebook profile using the FB app “Posted Items Pro”.

    Like

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