Widgetbox

The OpenSocial Doors are Now Open!

As promised during our OpenSocial Talk, we’ve OpenSocial-enabled your Widgetbox widgets. That’s right! Any Widgetbox widget can now be installed to a supported OpenSocial container.

Google is working hard to complete the OpenSocial APIs. We’re working harder to learn their ins-and-outs and provide you the easiest way to unlock their power.

This is exactly what we did with our App Accelerator for Facebook. And, we’re doing it again for OpenSocial.

We’re here to make your widgets viral on OpenSocial so you can focus on what you do best – building great widgets.

Wanna learn more? Read our FAQ below.

OpenSocial Beta FAQ

What is OpenSocial?

OpenSocial is a set of common APIs under development by Google for building social applications across many websites. OpenSocial is based upon the existing Google Gadget specification which consists of JavaScript and Google Data APIs. Learn more by visiting Google’s OpenSocial Homepage.

Why is your OpenSocial support in “beta”?

Google’s OpenSocial specification is not final. We’ve done our best to support the draft specification, but there may be times when you’ll encounter some incompatibilities.

We’re also keeping an eye on the incomplete OpenSocial features and will provide support for each at a logical time.

What does this version of Widgetbox’s OpenSocial Beta provide?

We’re providing an OpenSocial installation URL for each Widgetbox widget. This allows you to deploy your widget into an OpenSocial container and implement OpenSocial-specific customizations as you choose.

How do I get the OpenSocial installation URL for my widget?

The Widgetbox Get Widget menu now displays supported OpenSocial containers as installation options. Select an OpenSocial site from the Get Widget menu to access the OpenSocial installation URL for your widget.

Which browsers are my OpenSocial widgets compatible with?

Google maintains a document that tracks compatibility of the OpenSocial specification on a browser-by-browser basis. You can find it here.

Which OpenSocial containers are supported?

At this time, Hi5, Ning and Orkut are supported. Please be aware that Hi5 and Orkut only support OpenSocial in their developer sandbox environments. Ning provides OpenSocial support in its production environment which is accessible by all users.

What about other OpenSocial containers?

Many social networks have announced or implemented support for OpenSocial.

Some have decided to restrict the widgets that can be installed by users. We’re unable to support these containers until they provide equal access to all widget developers.

However, if you know of other networks that allow users to install any OpenSocial application of their choice email us at partnerships at widgetbox.com

Discuss OpenSocial@Widgetbox

Are you having a problem installing your widget to an OpenSocial container? Is there an OpenSocial feature you think we should make available? Visit our OpenSocial Discussion Forum or send an email to support at widgetbox.com!