pimg src="http://www.readwriteweb.com/images/facebook-logo.jpg"a href="http://developers.facebook.com/connect.php"Facebook Connect/a, the system the company has long discussed as "Facebook on sites all around the web," enters general availability today and we've got one big question - should website owners use Facebook or a href="http://openid.net"OpenID/a to authenticate and learn about their users? Will Facebook become a dominant identifier online? Will the OpenID community lose out to the company's proprietary system or will this challenge breathe new life into the movement for open source, standards based, federated user identity?/p pOpen Source vs. Proprietary technology isn't just about desktop software anymore - now it's about our identities and social connections, all around the web. We've published a mind map below displaying our understanding of the contrasts between these two identity systems. If you'd like to add our thoughts to that map, you can./p p align="right"emSponsor/embr /a href='http://d.openx.org/ck.php?n=12822amp;cb=12822' target='_blank'img src='http://d.openx.org/avw.php?zoneid=861amp;cb=12822amp;n=12822' border='0' alt='' align="right" //a/p pThis battle isn't about "single sign-on" - it's about the payload that comes with it (friend networks, personal data, maybe more), it's about the developer communities, usability and ownership. It's very important to the future of our user experience online and it's a fascinating study in contrasts. /p centerimg alt="FBOID2.jpg" src="http://www.readwriteweb.com/images/FBOID2.jpg" width="610" height="297"/center pThe mind map above illustrates our understanding of the relative merits of these two leading identity solutions. We thought it was an effective way of discussing a complex situation succinctly. We created it collaboratively using a href="http://mindmeister.com" rel="nofollow"MindMeister/a. (disclosure: Mindmeister is a recent, but not current, RWW sponsor) /p pWe haven't drawn a conclusion yet about who we think will win. We like Facebook Connect, but we like OpenID better. We're cheering for both, but louder for the open source, open standard solution. We think Facebook's odds are better, but perhaps the OpenID community will rise to the challenge now that it has such a formidable competitor./p pDo you think we've missed anything really important? If so, feel free to edit the mind map on this page: a href="http://www.mindmeister.com/8784099"Identity: FB Connect vs. OpenID/a (You'll need a a href="https://www.mindmeister.com/users/signup"MindMeister account to do so/a.) Below you can see a click and drag embedded display of the latest state of this map that our readers have updated with their thoughts. You can a href="http://www.mindmeister.com/8784099"see it full screen here/a./p pFacebook Connect vs. OpenID is going to be a big decision that every website owner should consider. What do you think the relative strengths and weaknesses of the two systems are? /p piframe width="600" height="400" frameborder="0" src="http://www.mindmeister.com/maps/public_map_shell/8784099?width=600height=400zoom=1" scrolling="no" style="overflow:hidden"/iframe/p pThanks to the a href="http://vidoop.com"Vidoop/a crew for the conversation this morning that inspired this post./p stronga href="http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/facebook_connect_vs_open_id.php#comments-open"Discuss/a/strong pa href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~at/V-7sJGZ2Iv_cxPA4F2Zil8xGPdM/a"img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~at/V-7sJGZ2Iv_cxPA4F2Zil8xGPdM/i" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/pdiv class="feedflare" a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/readwriteweb?a=Dv4tfz89"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/readwriteweb?d=1035" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/readwriteweb?a=YWTycQjK"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/readwriteweb?d=41" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/readwriteweb?a=ZDFYqTf5"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/readwriteweb?i=ZDFYqTf5" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/readwriteweb?a=3tWZ3br6"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/readwriteweb?i=3tWZ3br6" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/readwriteweb?a=UiuE7FxM"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/readwriteweb?i=UiuE7FxM" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/readwriteweb?a=ahox73Mh"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/readwriteweb?d=52" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/readwriteweb?a=cNGYwYyH"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/readwriteweb?d=1034" border="0"/img/a /divimg src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/readwriteweb/~4/DMgO20efmX8" height="1" width="1"/

br /What it doesbr /br /If for any reason you are unsatisfied with either Yahoo or Google groups and are on the lookout for a viable alternative, chances are a visit to this newly-launched service will sort you out. br brIn principle, GroupALoop is a free service that is open to anybody, and which has some features that intend to give it an edge over its close competitors. One of the most notable features is the ability to create unlimited groups within any given group. It can be claimed that this can actually clutter proceedings if not used sparingly, but it is always better to have the chance to do something different than being constricted to tried and tested formulas. Moreover, widgets are featured as a way of attracting further members and showing your allegiance on the sites you visit frequently. br brOther features that merit mentioning include a “Lurking” option that effectively enables you to keep the group in your group list without appearing as an actual member, and the ability to add keywords to the group’s description itself. br brTo sum it up, this is a viable alternative to related services which is already acquiring an interesting shape. See it in action for yourself at www.groupaloop.com and draw your own conclusions. brbr /br /In their own wordsbr /br /“GroupALoop mirrors the same kind of fluid group interaction that takes place in real life.”br /br /Why it might be a killerbr /br /It is an endeavor that injects some life into a established formula.br /br /Some questionsbr /br /What features are going to be added in the foreseeable future? br /br /Link: a href='http://www.groupaloop.com'http://www.groupaloop.com/abr /Our Review: a href='http://www.killerstartups.com/Comm/groupaloop-com-an-alternative-to-online-groups'http://www.killerstartups.com/Comm/groupaloop-com-an-alternative-to-online-groups/abr /br / nbsp;div class="feedflare" a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?a=UIPaZADD"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?d=41" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?a=w9YskXv5"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?d=52" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?a=ZoHTkIF3"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?i=ZoHTkIF3" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?a=28eHoGzs"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?i=28eHoGzs" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?a=ftP5WcT0"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?d=43" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?a=Io9LV0Ew"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?i=Io9LV0Ew" border="0"/img/a /divimg src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/killerstartups/BkQV/~4/3J3O8kEMMs8" height="1" width="1"/

br /In their own wordsbr /br /“Your one-stop shop for everything to do with college search and selection.”br /br /Why it might be a killerbr /br /Those undergoing the delicate process of choosing the right campus will find such a resource enticing and useful.br /br /What it doesbr /br /Choosing the right campus is not necessarily an easy task – in fact, it can determine how you academic career will shape up in no small proportion. As such, it merits exhaustive research and more than a fair share of considerations. As any other endeavor, such a task is simplified by the WWW and the site we are discussing right now stands as a prime example. br brAs its name unequivocally denotes, this site is an online database made up of contributions put forward by the ones who know best - those who are currently attending that school or college. br brIn addition to browsing through the many reviews that are posted and weighing them up, you can resort to a series of tools such as a “Match Me Meter” that aims to find the right school for you in a more or less instant fashion, and a “What are my chances calculator?”. The latter is useful for keeping your hopes realistic and being aware of where your main chances lie. br brOf course, other tools like the ever-important financial aid calculator and a calendar with e-mail alerts are prominently featured and can be employed right away. As you can see, the site is awash with features and resources that hopefully will bring a good start to some of the most memorable years of your life.br /br /Some questionsbr /br /How often are new contents added to the site?br /br /Link: a href='http://www.campuscompare.com'http://www.campuscompare.com/abr /Our Review: a href='http://www.killerstartups.com/Web20/campuscompare-com-campus-research-made-simple'http://www.killerstartups.com/Web20/campuscompare-com-campus-research-made-simple/abr /br / nbsp;div class="feedflare" a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?a=OVgLBoOb"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?d=41" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?a=XsF5IRgg"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?d=52" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?a=oal8CLjp"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?i=oal8CLjp" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?a=D6nh0NTg"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?i=D6nh0NTg" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?a=CTLGEeiF"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?d=43" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?a=x8ltDX3U"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?i=x8ltDX3U" border="0"/img/a /divimg src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/killerstartups/BkQV/~4/CSou5ObCyPY" height="1" width="1"/

br /Why it might be a killerbr /br /It is a supple tool that does its jobs accurately and efficiently. br /br /In their own wordsbr /br /“You no longer need to install and configure special VPN software or devices to enable secure remote access to company files, data and applications. With AccessAnywhere, your employees can get remote access to your company's Web-based information, email, files, desktops and client/server applications through a standard web browser from their laptop, home computer or any web enabled PC.”br /br /What it doesbr /br /A SaaS solution, AccessAnywhere stands as an alternative to other VPN software applications and devices available. The main selling point of this solution is that there is no need to incur into installs of any kind, nor worry about getting the latest version or if your machine is supported or not. br brAccessAnywhere gives employers ready access to corporate web-hosted information and data such as e-mails and files via any of the main web browsers on the market today. This particular solution is specially suited for small and medium-sized businesses that want to branch out and give their employers access to corporate information without having to buy additional equipment or manage software. Moreover, it is a safe solution that does not compromise a company's network. br brPricing particulars are described in the section that goes by the same name, and you can always try AccessAnywhere for free in order to judge its merits for yourself. At the end of the day, it is another tool that makes for putting the Internet to the use of your business and not the other way around, and if you have never tried one before this is as good as any other to get started.br /br /Some questionsbr /br /How much does it cost?br /br /Link: a href='http://www.accessanywhere.net'http://www.accessanywhere.net/abr /Our Review: a href='http://www.killerstartups.com/Web20/accessanywhere-net-remotely-accessing-your-business'http://www.killerstartups.com/Web20/accessanywhere-net-remotely-accessing-your-business/abr /br / nbsp;div class="feedflare" a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?a=mcgQ1VGg"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?d=41" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?a=hCXC3VzA"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?d=52" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?a=BSyt0YJp"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?i=BSyt0YJp" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?a=77Keg85T"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?i=77Keg85T" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?a=IC0FRYCE"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?d=43" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?a=pFrXHxUc"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?i=pFrXHxUc" border="0"/img/a /divimg src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/killerstartups/BkQV/~4/SezpfIcb2Ss" height="1" width="1"/

br /What it doesbr /br /After three years of beta testing, Dimdim has made its services available to the general public. The company has developed a solution for hosting web conferences and delivering synchronized live presentations without the need to incur into software installs of any kind. br brThis solution is available in several configurations, and you can sign up for a free account and carry out conferences hosting up to 20 people at the same time. Of course, a Pro version is also featured and it makes for customizing and branding web meetings. Lastly, an Enterprise edition is available and it empowers users to hold meetings without constraints of any kind, and both hosted and onsite versions are featured for added flexibility. br brIn addition to that, Dimdim is available as open source software. This means that anybody can make his own contribution to the project and customize it as he sees fit. The open source version has most of the features that characterize the Enterprise edition, and it is based on open source streaming and media components. br brWhen all is said and done, Dimdim is a solution that makes for interacting over the web without the need of a desktop client, and as such it stands as a remarkable development that merits the attention it is certain to attract. br /br /In their own wordsbr /br /“Like many of us, Dimdim’s founders were scattered across the world and used an assortment of free communications tools like Skype and Hotmail to keep in touch. When they wanted to share what was on their computer screens they discovered that existing web conferencing products were all either too expensive or too complicated (or both). As accomplished software designers, they knew there had to be a better way. And so Dimdim was born.”br /br /Why it might be a killerbr /br /It has the potential to revolutionize web meetings, and the fact that it is an open source solution is bound to arouse more than a fair share of interest.br /br /Some questionsbr /br /How much do the Pro and Premium accounts cost?br /br /Link: a href='http://www.dimdim.com'http://www.dimdim.com/abr /Our Review: a href='http://www.killerstartups.com/Comm/dimdim-com-open-source-web-meeting-software'http://www.killerstartups.com/Comm/dimdim-com-open-source-web-meeting-software/abr /br / nbsp;div class="feedflare" a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?a=6ixwG1cZ"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?d=41" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?a=EnDs196o"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?d=52" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?a=WMLqMg02"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?i=WMLqMg02" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?a=Knki1FY7"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?i=Knki1FY7" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?a=1e3WQqjD"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?d=43" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?a=vubxPRE8"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?i=vubxPRE8" border="0"/img/a /divimg src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/killerstartups/BkQV/~4/AScUNF05E0k" height="1" width="1"/

br /What it doesbr /br /This online database has the aim of providing an overview of the many open source platforms, frameworks and solutions in existence, presented in a language that is clear and easy-to-understand. br brThe database itself is subdivided in four different categories that cover the whole specter. These are “Operations”, “Application Development”, “Infrastructure Solutions” and “Applications”. br brIn each case, a review is featured and it highlights the merits of each discussed items. The review also features a rating, and if you couple that with the provided case studies you can have a good understanding of where each solution and project stands as a whole. br brThe EOS Directory is actually a community site, and this means that visitors can contribute both ratings and comments as well as suggesting that new projects be added to the database. br brLastly, a forum is featured and you can not only interact with other like-minded individuals but also ask for expert advice therein. All in all, the site is a comprehensive resource that members of the open source community are certain to appreciate. brbr /br /In their own wordsbr /br /“EOS started its life offline as the Open Source Catalog in November 2006. We were surprised by the demand (over 10,000 downloads to date) and the positive response from both enterprises and the open source community. The demand for updates, additions and conversations quickly became overwhelming and we built EOS to take the endeavor online and provide a greater opportunity for enterprises to connect with the open source community.”br /br /Why it might be a killerbr /br /It is an encompassing resource that can be readily accessed.br /br /Some questionsbr /br /How many items are already part of the database?br /br /Link: a href='http://www.eosdirectory.com'http://www.eosdirectory.com/abr /Our Review: a href='http://www.killerstartups.com/Web20/eosdirectory-com-enterprise-open-source-directory'http://www.killerstartups.com/Web20/eosdirectory-com-enterprise-open-source-directory/abr /br / nbsp;div class="feedflare" a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?a=YJHWy3qr"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?d=41" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?a=d2tvy1S4"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?d=52" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?a=i8C2cioO"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?i=i8C2cioO" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?a=TUR05Dsy"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?i=TUR05Dsy" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?a=Br5f6lXh"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?d=43" border="0"/img/a a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?a=e48JCCbh"img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~f/killerstartups/BkQV?i=e48JCCbh" border="0"/img/a /divimg src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/killerstartups/BkQV/~4/vFtgq_llONM" height="1" width="1"/