December 11, 2011

With Google Currents is Facebook vs Google taking a new turn?

Sharing is key to Facebook. Facebook will not exist if there is no sharing. Games and applications are secondary to Facebook. Sharing makes it live. But, from what is happening in my Android Phone, it looks like Facebook is shooting itself in the foot in an attempt to settle scores with Google. Or is it really?

I do not know if it is purposeful or not, Facebook for Android will not allow me to share using Google Currents.

Google Currents is the new news reader application from Google for Android, dubbed as Flipbord killer. It is available only in US right now. I grabbed the apk when it was available online and side loaded the application like a true Android user. And its great design and user friendly nature made it my primary news reader application for now. It is fun to read on Google Currents. It is elegant and feels good to have it open on your screen.

I noticed the issue with Facebook sharing this morning, when I wanted to share something interesting I read on Forbs for Google Currents. Facebook will not let me share what I wanted to. The share page said that there was some error and I needed to fill in a captcha if I wanted to share. And then the captcha never loaded. Initially I thought it might be a problem with the phone. I went to another favourite news reader application of mine and tried sharing some random write up on Facebook. No issues. The Facebook Sharing worked magically. I came back to currents to share on Facebook. Same security error still existed. 

I do not know whom to blame. Is Facebook trying to cut Google Currents from the sharing game? Or has Google Currents not configured their app to make it easy to share on Facebook? I will update you as soon as I figure out.

Update: From what I found out from various sources online, from other Forums and Blogs, Google Currents has an issue when it comes to sharing. Sounds like it is because the sharing feature on Google Currents has some issue interacting with websites on which you want to share. I noticed that Google Currents builds its own list of sharing sites, from the list of applications on your phone. It has Google Plus One button as first in the list. Now, if an application wants to have its own share feature, social networks like Facebook require it to be configured to get special user permissions. I think this is where the issue is. Google Currents has a special share list. But then the only thing special on that list is the plus one button. Rest of the share buttons are pulled based on what application you have on your phone. Now a special share list means, the sharing has to go through Google. Facebook requires additional sign in and permission to make sharing without the actual Facebook for Android. So there is a clash. I hope Google will correct this with the next update for Currents.

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