New Google API’s: Mixed Feelings

The tech blogosphere is buzzing this weekend because Google will provide some new API’s in November which will allegedly let a little bit data flow in and out of the big G. So is this important? Should we be concerned or should we better be happy about it? Actually I don’t know since Google hasn’t made an announcement yet. Only Michael Arrington of TechCrunch has the story and it’s a story which makes me wonder.

Sure, Michael and TechCrunch are big in the tech news sector. However should I believe that it was really so easy to persuade three participants (out of 15) of a supposedly secret meeting at Google to spill the beans about Google’s plans? Even more so when they had signed non-disclosure agreements? Hey, 20% of participants you can’t trust; bad ratio. Google better chooses participants more wisely the next time. Or are the news not as secret as the article tries to make us believe?

Anyway, let’s assume Google will release those API’s shortly, will they really be open? Actually no one can tell right now. Will those API’s be read/write? Will they be free? What about OpenID or OAuth for login? Do I have to register with Orkut in order to list my friends and contacts or can I import them from other apps like Twitter via XFN? Essentially, will I have to give Google even more data about me, my network, my online life only that other apps can leverage it? That’s not what portable social networks are about.

Waiting for Nov 5.