Facebook Sets Second Redesign Launch Attempt for Tonight

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 14:30:05 +0000

Alright, so Facebook kind of failed to accurately estimate when it would be taking long-talked-about profile redesign. The number last tossed around was July 16. The day came, the day went, and nothing. No changes made. That may have made for an anticlimactic Wednesday for some. So will the second try, scheduled for this evening, according to Justin Smith of Inside Facebook, turn out to be the true charmer?

As you may be aware, Facebook has been teasing users as of late with a test page to give a glimpse of what’s to come. And the network began in Spring to allow developers to familiarize themselves with the new layout. When doors officially open, all of Facebook’s members will be access, albeit through a transitional, opt-in model.

The upgrade to the profile page isn’t a whirlwind transformation. Most users will likely intuit for themselves how to manage their information in no time. But it’s a welcome move all the same. The current design has been in place for quite a while. Lots of things in the social networking space have evolved with the seasons. Facebook would do well to alter itself a bit, too. Of course, it’s largest task has been to bring application developers into alignment

Of course, it’s largest task has been to bring application developers into alignment. If you’re counting on an entirely glitch-less upgrade, you may be in luck. Much may depend on your chosen third-party installs. In that respect, there’s still some chance for a bit of disappointment. And as far as potential hiccups on Facebook’s end, well, suffice it to say that the company acknowledged a problem with API performance days after days after the profile update was originally intended for public launch.

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Rediff Follows Facebook’s Lead With Its Own Platform Launch

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 22:31:59 +0000

Source:Mashable!

Rediff, one of the top online portals in India and one currently listed on the NASDAQ stock market, has evidently followed the past year progress of third-party developments within Facebook closely. Now it wants to stir a similar amount of interest in its own set of properties as well. Announced at Delhi’s Proto.in startup event, Rediff officially took the covers off its own developer program, called, plainly enough, The Rediff Platform.

The reason for the Facebook reference is simple. The company states that its properties are “being made…to support FBML,” Facebook’s markup language.

Indeed, Rediff is pushing an idea eminently synonymous with Facebook’s own. The phrase “apps economy” is writ large on the Rediff Developers page. But it’s also an effort that the company hopes will align with multiple pieces of the Rediff puzzle. To kick off the developer program, Rediff is first opening iShare, its music, video, and photo sharing service.

The company is promising grants to some students and entrepreneur developers through a basic submission program it is calling “Sociali.” The sum being touted by the company to fuel ideas thought promising ideas is 250,000 rupees, or US$5,800. A relatively small figure, it seems, especially if juxtaposed against Rediff’s expected revenue report for Q2 2008 (roughly $17 million). All may depend on the supply of developers Rediff finds enticing enough to fund in the weeks and months ahead.

The company states that developers ready to begin fabricating can now do so with data provided through its new website.

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Facebook Sets Second Redesign Launch Attempt for Tonight

Rediff Follows Facebook’s Lead With Its Own Platform Launch