Webs taps Facebook Connect for log-ins, sharing
Site builder Webs has just added Facebook Connect, which will let its site creators and visitors share content back to Facebook.
A small change to site builder Webs could have a big impact on Facebook's news feed. At least that's what the company is hoping.
Webs (formerly FreeWebs) on Tuesday is rolling out a new way for users to add Facebook Connect log-ins and content sharing to their sites. The site-building and Web-hosting service says it has more than 55 million users, and churns around 300 million page views a month. And by integrating Facebook Connect, the company expects to make those numbers bigger.
Webs has long had a way for users to sign up their own users, however this required those users to log in with their Webs ID. The new system lets you use Facebook Connect instead. A site owner just needs to sign up for a Facebook apps API key, then link it up with their Webs account. In return, their users get all the usual Facebook Connect perks, like being able to carry over their Facebook profile picture and other information to that Webs site profile. And whatever comments they leave, along with content on those Webs pages, can be shared back through their Facebook news feed.
The one area where Webs can really tap into this is in making a content page that highlights some of the most shared items, or just a feed of what's being shared across its content network. WordPress does this to some degree with its editor-curated "Freshly Pressed" section, but I imagine it would be a fair bit more interesting to see what's surging based on the wisdom of the crowds.
