MySpace enables Developers to enhance the overall experience of Users through the development of Social Applications on the MySpace Open Platform. In creating MySpace Applications, Developers promote new avenues for a wide range of fun and functional activities. Examples of these include: posting content to another user's Comments or Inbox, playing multiplayer games, organizing around a common goal or cause, or even tossing virtual sheep at friends.
The MySpace Open Platform supports the development of applications based on the OpenSocial model. OpenSocial is a suite of JavaScript and REST APIs developed jointly by Google and other social networking sites to facilitate the development of secure JavaScript widgets, making use of available User Data. OpenSocial is the mediating interface between a developer's code and the Open Platform environment.
MySpace has undertaken a recent expansion of this structure through the MySpaceID project. MySpaceID provides Developers the opportunity to access user identities within the context of third-party environments.
There are thus two types of MySpace Applications:
In the case of MySpace Domain Applications, MySpace.com either hosts HTML/JavaScript and Flash applications directly or renders an application in any programming language through an external IFrame.
MySpace Domain Applications have a specific presence on MySpace. Each application has an Application Profile, as well as three surfaces of varying size and placement that render the application's functionality for Users. Members can choose to have their applications render on one or more of these surfaces. The following descriptions detail the elements of a MySpace Domain Application:
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The Application Canvas is a dedicated page for rendering application code. Unlike other surfaces available for rendering the application, the Application Canvas provides a full page for the display of data, functionality, and advertising, allowing for a rich user experience of the application. In most cases, this will be the main surface through which Users interact with the application content.
With the Application Canvas, Developers can:
The user interface of an application can take up the full-width (960 pixels) of the page. Developers have the option to display ads on this page. To ensure user-friendly integration with the rest of MySpace, the MySpace.com Header and Footer will appear on the Application Canvas.
Note: the Application Canvas displays content for a single application only. Developers creating more than one application will have an Application Canvas for each. Multiple Canvases can be linked through the use of advertisements and links in the Canvas content.
Example of the Application Canvas:
A User Profile Surface displays information, content and functionality directly on a User Profile as generated by an application. The use of unique icons in coding the application for this surface differentiates applications and drives traffic to the Application Canvas by calling out the application.
These surfaces may be added in either the left-hand column (300 pixels wide) or the right-hand column (430 pixels wide) of a User Profile.
Example of an application appearing in the left-hand column:
Example of an application appearing in the right-hand column:
If a user installs multiple applications, surfaces stack into columns in reverse order of addition. Users can reorder, expand and collapse their own surfaces at any time. Viewers of the User Profile can expand and collapse User Profile Surfaces, but they may not re-order them.
Applications can add a surface to User Home Pages. The User Home Page Surface gives Users who add the application direct access to an application's content and functionality, and promotes the presentation of application data specific to the user. This surface also allows the application to direct Users to the Application Canvas. The use of unique icons helps to differentiate applications for the user.
This surface (290 pixels wide) appears only in the right-hand column of the User Home Page.
Example of an application appearing on the User Home Page Surface:
If a user installs multiple applications, surfaces stack into columns in reverse order of addition. Users can reorder, expand and collapse their own surfaces at any time.
Users learn about and add applications to their User Profile and/or User Home Page through the Application Profile. MySpace automatically generates a customizable Application Profile for each new application.
The Application Profile displays information about a single application. For those Developers with multiple applications, the Application Canvas is available to advertise other applications.
The App Profile displays each of the following:
Example of an Application Profile:
Learn about OpenSocial on the MySpace Open Platform.
