Ever since Facebook opened its APIs and encouraged companies, independent developers, and users to create their own applications, there was a flood of programs entering the market.
There are no barriers to entry except having to deal with Facebook’s framework. I am still a proactive Facebook user and think its a great social network tool, but I believe that it makes a crappy “operating system.”
I honestly had mixed feelings when I saw NPR created a Facebook application. I had these apathetic feelings because I’m simply sick of all Facebook applications, both practical (like this one) and useless (like Top Friends, SuperPoke, Zombie, etc.).
I definitely enjoy listening to NPR on occasion and I was a fan of Marshall Kirkpatrick’s work on TechCrunch and in the few times I interacted with Kirkpatrick, he seems like a genuine guy. Therefore, I am rooting for SplashCast to do well also.
I’d like to see a way for NPR to utilize SplashCast technology independently of Facebook. Perhaps have a YouTube-like user interface for it. But I do think SplashCast has truly added value to their partnership to NPR.
SplashCast has taken a traditional form of media and integrated into a Web 2.0 world. And the intention for doing so seems to be another way to consolidate information and make it more accessible.
