Testing Google Friend Connect

When Google talks, I at least pay attention. Whether you like them or not, no one can deny that Google has a great deal of KLOUT on the interwebz. This Google Friend Connect thing is the latest scuttlebutt. Of course I have to try it, even though I’m not insanely hopeful that it’s going to do anything for me. Most Google thingies seem to follow the biblical model (paraphrased by me):

To them that hath, more shall be given, and thou that hath not spinneth thy wheels in vain.


I’m pretty skeptical that adding this particular strand of duct tape to my ever growing interconnected ball of online self reference is going to catapault me to Scoble-like popularity, but I like to check these things out anyway from a purely technical perspective.

To set up a friend connect site, go to Google Friend Connect (while logged into your Google account, naturally) and set up a site. It asks you about your site, then it gives you two files you have to install in the root of your site. Once that’s done, you test it, then you set up your widget. Mine is the default. I will invest time in personalizing it only if it shows some promise of being beneficial. Below is supposed to be the basic widget: From what I read at Google, once you click the basic one it will lead you to a place where you can get specialized ones. I don’t know what I’m doing at this point, so here goes!

First try = FAIL to display the widget. So I thought I’d look at the code. In the line where it has setParentUrl it’s kind of confusing. The default is “/” which is filesystem, not URL notation. Plus with my screwey home-rolled WordPress MU, the files live in the root of the blog, not in the root of wordpress. So I decided to take them at their word and put the URL in, which means I changed it to

google.friendconnect.container.setParentUrl('http://dorkage.net');

Alas, worketh not. So I changed it to filesystem notation:

google.friendconnect.container.setParentUrl('/home/www/dorkage');

Alas, also worketh not. Showeth nothing but a horizontal line. Even with trailing slash. May be a wordpress/javascript issue. Not a huge deal I guess. Would have been a nice visual for the article. All it does is shows you profile pictures of all my Friend Connect Friends, (of which there are currently NONE yet anyway) The comments at the Google site indicate that this thing is still quite Beta. I did manage to also install and configure the google friend connect wordpress plugin so you can still “join” and comment on any of my posts as your Google identity.




8 comments to Testing Google Friend Connect

  • Google wants to know too much about everything. As much as I hate them, I gotta respect them for making everything so convenient and available for all. Everywhere I turn,… Google.

    I even added that Google friend connect to my blog just below mybloglog visits widget.

  • Looks like a yet another interesting innovation by google. It seems really simple and convenient and also looks quite attractive. Sure to attract some visitors!!!

  • No Doubt Google Great, another great service going to help us, Dam sure it will be enough to get attraction of People.

  • I have the same issue, with a wordpress blog and google friendconnect gadgets, its cause is that wordpress escapes the javascript characters of the code sniped and that producces a javascript syntax error.

    You can “fix” it uploading a html page with the gadget snniped and embed on your post with and iframe tag. or you can usa a the inline-javascript plugin

    http://www.ooso.net/inline-js

  • That sounds really complicated. I went to sign up for it thinking it was like a Facebook thing but then it just looked like a hassle. I’m sure it will be a good product at some point but right now I’m too sleepy to give it the concentration needed to even know what it’s supposed to do. Then this guy commenting above me is speaking another language…lol. Something about “embed on your post with an iframe tag or you can usa a the inline-javascript plugin.” I don’t have a clue what that means. I guess I need to go to a seminar to learn how to build websites instead of my home made stuff.

    Still…I think something from Google should be easier.

  • It seems really simple and convenient and also looks quite attractive. Sure to attract some visitors!!! Google is so great .

  • So why have you discontinued with Google followers ? Are there no followers. This is a great blog i might add.

  • Fantastic information. I have bookmarked your site. Thanks!

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