Summing Up OpenSocial

Last week we had the announcement by Google of a new "open" social networking platform called OpenSocial. Here are some quick bits on the new platform:

• It's Google's Platform - is that good or bad? Depends on who you ask.
• OpenSocial could provide visibility to those Web apps that are small to medium sized. It will also provide a new stream of apps from independent Web developers.
• Jeremiah has an excellent in-depth article on how to explain OpenSocial to a corporate executive. His version is the one-hour meeting version. Here is the elevator ride to the 45th floor version:  "OpenSocial is a method to incorporate one social network into another (i.e. Friendster into MySpace). It's managed by Google and unfortunately doesn't solve the problem of having a login for each social network. Any Web developer can also create Google widgets that can be plugged into OpenSocial. It's exciting!"
• You know that these social networks will want to monetize their usage of OpenSocial. What happens when an advertisement appears in the Ning embed on MySpace that conflicts with MySpace (e.g. ad for Facebook on MySpace).
• Richard wonders if Facebook will join OpenSocial. My guess is that they won't join but this might force Facebook to build an open platform of their own. I can't imagine MS/Zuckerberg joining now.
• I wonder if Microsoft or Yahoo created this platform would everyone join?
• There is no user integration - so what's the reason behind using this? If I have to login for each network, why not just go to those individual networks?
• How many users really use multiple networks? Perhaps a smattering of geeks but mainstream? C'mon, let's be real here.
• What does the analytics look like for OpenSocial? I can't find anyone discussing this aspect and it's the one that is most interesting to me.
• Do users have to "install" the apps like on Facebook? From the reading materials it seems the answer is no. Which is better for the apps take rates.

We are potentially gearing up for a Facebook vs. Rest of Internet war. What will this provide for Internet consumers? I am guessing more apps of varying quality quicker. Will OpenSocial change the Internet? I am not sold yet.