Google Toolbar BlogThis Rankles Rivals
from the exclusivity dept
When Google launched the beta of their new "toolbar" two days ago, I tested it out pretty quickly. I certainly noticed the "blog this" functionality, which is useless to me, since I don't use Blogger. I did wonder how other blog platform creators would respond - and they responded noisily (usually on their own blogs). Apparently, it was enough noise to get the story picked up by a major news publication, saying that competitors felt shut out. Google responded by pointing out this is just a beta, and everyone really needs to calm down. I agree that it makes sense to offer tie-in's to other blogging tools, but almost everyone of those tools already has a bookmarklet posting feature - which is the exact same thing, except that it goes in the link bar instead of the Google toolbar. In fact, on my toolbar, right above the Google-based "blog this!", I have a bookmarklet based "blog this!" from a time I tested out Blogger. So, while I understand why the other vendors are complaining, I don't think it's that big a deal. Also, if Google does include other vendors, at what point does it stop? Do they just include Userland and Six Apart software or do they have to include the fifty other blogging platforms?
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No Subject Given
They don't have to integrate with every blogging platform, just provide an XML based API and let the blog tool providers do the work.
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Re: XML APIs
The blog tool providers don't have to do anything if Google will support the major existing XML blogging APIs, including their own.
Radio Userland and Movable Type, for instance, both support both the original Blogger API and the fancier MetaWeblog API. Movable Type plans to add support for the Blogger2 API. There's also an older API called Manila RPC which I think came from Radio Userland.
Note that the Blogger and Blogger2 APIs are specified by Google Blogger.
Looks can be deceiving, but it certainly looks like there should be little problem expanding to encompass the major blogging tools.
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Re: XML APIs
The issue is marketing, not technical. If you have an existing blog tool, fine; I expect Blogger to interop. But if you don't, the Google toolbar will take you to Blogger to get one. Using a competitive advantage in one arena to create one in another.
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No Subject Given
Bah. Perhaps I should whine because they have never supported the Mac with their toolbar? Google would be smart to open the toolbar up to avoid charges of favoritism, but hell, it's their baby.
No. I use Kung-log anyhow.
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