Google’s latest launch, OpenSocial (this url goes live on Thursday) is set on November 1, 2007 (tomorrow if you’re in range of our timezone). LinkedIn, hi5, Plaxo, SixApart (read their statement here) and other currently participating social networks, interested developers can interact with any of ANY social network he chooses just by learning OpenSocial’s API.

Why this development is important? At the moment, there are currently hundreds of clones of popular ideas on the net (like Wikipedia then Uncyclopedia, Digg then Reddit, Propeller, etc). Instead of having the clones working solo, why not allow them to band into a network where everyone can choose a topic, say technology and be able to enjoy content from all the joined networks. At the moment, if you wanted to view stuff from social networks, you need to go to them manually or check each of your interests’ feed.

While Google‘s idea may sound megalomaniac-ish, trying to form one large Social Network by providing the tools to do it, think about the time and the cost everyone will save in development as well as the amount of new opportunities once new and existing social networks gives access to their data. Everyone has more access to more information as well as more people within their network.