Did Google Mistep in its OpenSocial Efforts?

[The following was a response I made to a conversation occurring in the Data Portability arena. It was in response to an issue raised regarding Google and its OpenSocial/standardization efforts. After writing it, it occurred to me that this post was too important to scroll off the screen of a Skype chat...]

Google's latest foray into trail blazing is unique in its history. For the longest time they were the company that so many developers admired. Their OpenSocial initiative was different. While having the best of intentions, somebody over there pushed the button a bit too early -- probably in response to Microsoft's ovations towards Facebook. Suddenly their efforts (in OpenSocial) felt rushed, unfinished, and conflicted (just look at what it took to get to v0.6 and then the deprecation that occurred moving to v0.7) -- and they're still not done.

Nevertheless, they are slowly recovering from some of the initial fallout and developers should not abandon the effort. But so too should Google learn from the experience. And I for one believe that it is imperatively important for them to learn from it. It is their very misstep, and effort of recovery, that is so opportunistic for the rest of us. We all can be heard and we can influence. We can make a difference. And there are plenty of folks at Google that embrace that concept.

The reality is that authentication WILL be resolved in the very near future. It must. Standardization will continue to improve and rogue players will forever stand on proprietary components -- not all bad, but certainly not all good. Open standards will always be open as long as there are smart people willing to stand up with a voice --- but that are also willing to listen. It can not be MY vision of the world, or even YOURS, that will succeed, rather the cumulative vision of the folks willing to listen and to be heard.

[My company, Zude, is very active in this area. I cannot emphasize the importance of some of the issues raised here]