Standard Interoperability API
Sam at Writely kicks off a conversation about a common interoperability API between all these new applications popping up. We totally agree that such an API would make applications such as ours way more useful. Here are some examples of how such an API might be used:
- You’re composing a blog entry, and want to incorporate a spreadsheet from NumSum to get a point across.
- You’re working on a business plan in gOffice and you want to plug in some photos of the founders directly from Flickr.
- When working on a document in Writely, and you want to refer to a project management schedule in Basecamp.
With open API’s, you could certainly build custom integrations between all of these pieces. However, imagine if there was a a single standard API that everyone used for the general case, making integration a snap!
Here are some features I’d like to see in such an API:
- Single sign on and Identity management, using an open standard
- Ability to list and select resources from other services (Maybe using OPML)
- Ability to easily import documents from one service, and embed them in another, even if the imported document is not publicly published to the world.
- All the while keeping in mind that the user experience must be easy and seamless
This isn’t the only type of integration imagined by folks. For example, GoingOn is a manifestation of an idea Marc Cantor has often talked about: The Digital Lifestyle Aggregator.
Update: Sam has created a Writely doc to get the ball rolling on this. If you’re interested in collaborating on this, drop him a line.
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