Google v. Facebook

Yesterday, Google launched its new service Google Friend Connect, which allows users to easily add social features like chat to their Web sites and blogs with just a few clicks, rather than learning a month's worth of computer programming. And wouldn't you know it, Facebook launched its own social networking service, Facebook Connect, on the very same day. The two companies have been racing one another to bring these features to market, in order to dominate the social networking universe. But who'd a thunk it would come down to the wire? In fact, the launches were so nearly simultaneous that the press can't decide who beat whom to the market. TechCrunch, for example, declares, "Not an hour after Google launched the general availability of Friend Connect, Facebook is doing the same for its competing Facebook Connect Service." But PC Magazine writes, "Just hours after the launch of Facebook Connect, Google also took the beta tags off its similar Friend Connect feature."

Although Google is scaling back its more experimental ventures and focusing on search during the recession, it clearly isn't willing to cede social networking to Facebook, even if it doesn't pay off in the short term. If you've got one of those Web site thingies and want to beef it up with Google chat, here's a quick how-to, courtesy as always of YouTube.