Interoperability

Update: I can’t get this plugin to work. Typical, innit.

Handy little plugin, this. What it does is allow me to post an entry on my blog here, and it automagically reposts that entry on my Myspace account (yes, I’ve given in and joined the Myspace throng. Pity me). And here I was bitching a few hours ago about how I wished this were possible…

This got me thinking about interoperability. This, I think, is the Next Big Thing (TM) in the interweb gadget sphere. Sites that talk to each other, software that talks to sites, sites that talk to software, and the like is what I’m talking about, if the term “interoperability” is new to you. We all have a finite amount of time on this planet, and it stands to reason that we’d like to make the most of this time. Interoperability is a huge timesaving feature when implemented properly, allowing what you do in one place to be reflected elsewhere.

Savvy web developers are building APIs for their software to facilitate this interoperability. I can post here and have it appear on Myspace. I can post a link to del.icio.us and it appears on my blog (yeah, okay, this isn’t in yet, but it will be soon!). I can listen to a song in WinAMP, have its info sent off to Last.fm, and then have it appear on the recent tracks listing on my blog frontpage. I can take a photo, upload it to Flickr, and again have it appear on my blog frontpage.

While these may not sound terribly time-saving, they are, in a few different ways. It requires no interaction from me for these automated processes to take place. It also allows me to access that information from any internet-connected computer in the world, and others to access it also.

And while they may be rather trivial uses of the technology, they’re just the gateway to more sophisticated interoperability solutions. With the rise and rise of XML and other open standards, with open source growing in popularity every day, and with the internet becoming more and more ingrained in society and the workplace, it can only get better.