Generally speaking, OpenSocial is amazing news. The social layer I've been prattling on about for, well, a very long time, is really shaping up.

Though I still believe we've yet to do more than scratch the surface of social user experiences. And that surface, to stretch the analogy too far, is so wide it's been enough to get us all in a lather. Who now can say how deep it goes? And I believe there's a technical angle, or component, that's not addressed yet -- perhaps even a keystone technology or two.

Regardless, the barriers to entry just got lower to anyone interested in the application of a social layer to their core business value proposition -- and it applies to many existing core value propositions. More interesting, it's impossible to predict what new core value propositions will appear in the next few years, though very safe to predict that some, perhaps many, will. Which of those will demonstrate lasting value is another question. Ahhh, Darwin, you'd have loved the internet.

And what a lovely disruption it is. There's so much low hanging fruit. Web companies that stick to business as usual will be vulnerable. So will some traditional businesses, retailers in particular (many are already engaged). The analogy is rough, but I'm reminded of the mistake WordPerfect made so long ago when they elected to take a wait and see approach to Windows, while Microsoft moved to a graphical version of Word. It was, as they say, the beginning of the end for the then king of word processing. So it will go for businesses that fail to appropriately re-vision their services in light of the social aspect of computing. That is, assuming competition appears that moves intelligently in that direction.

If business runs in cycles analogous to the concept of punctuated equilibrium, it must be clear to just about everyone by now that this be the punctuation.

Bubble? Perhaps. I'm not an economist, so I won't risk an opinion. Opportunity? Clearly. Here to stay? Like breathing.