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SmugMug & DataPortability.org

I’ve been getting a little flack for not joining DataPortability.org and want to set the record straight:

  • SmugMug has believed since the beginning that your photos and metatdata are yours to do with what you will. We view them as being on loan to us for safekeeping, and we take that role very seriously.
  • SmugMug has emailed DataPortability to see about joining, contributing, whatever. No response. Don’t ask me why - ask them. I imagine they’re busy.
  • SmugMug already supports OpenID (and better support is coming), XFN & FOAF, RSS, Atom & KML, and has a rich API to both store and retrieve your data.
  • We’re committed to all of the ideals that DataPortability.org is pushing, and hope to see this stuff become the rule, rather than the exception.

While I’m on my soapbox, I think it’s important to note that many of the participants in the DataPortability project have been making their data portable for many years. I’m not sure why the media is trumpeting each new company that joins as if it’s just gotten religion, but companies like Flickr and SixApart (and us) have been doing more than talking about this for a long time. Give credit where credit is due.

Anyway, whenever we figure out how we can contribute, we will. We love the idea of our customers’ data being portable. It’s the right thing to do.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 23rd, 2008 at 12:11 pm and is filed under business, smugmug, web 2.0. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

4 Responses to “SmugMug & DataPortability.org”

  1. Chris Saad Says:
    January 23rd, 2008 at 1:51 pm

    Hi Don - I am very sorry but I have not seen an email from you. I think the ‘workgroup’ is being deprecated in favor of Action Groups where people just get things done.

    I suggest you follow the links on the home page and just jump into the discussion.

    We have removed the names from the front page and I am going to be encouraging everyone in the old ‘workgroup’ to do the same.

    Cheers,

    Chris

  2. David Parry Says:
    January 23rd, 2008 at 4:10 pm

    It’s a shame that Flickr aren’t 100% on board with data portability, free accounts don’t have API access to the original size images.

  3. Tony Stubblebine Says:
    January 24th, 2008 at 1:50 pm

    Kudos for just doing the implementation. It seems like data portability and open social networks suddenly became PR battlegrounds. Unfortunately announced plans are getting more press than actual implementations (Open Social’s a big example).

  4. David Recordon Says:
    January 24th, 2008 at 8:29 pm

    Thanks for the nod Don! You’re exactly right, it is really about shipping support for data portability.

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