Facebook Introduces Connect, No Payment System

Facebook announces its Connect external socialization service, a new developer Web site, international translation of the Platform and other programs. Not announced: the mythical Facebook payment processing platform.

SAN FRANCISCO-Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg introduced Facebook Connect, his company's first take on data portability.

The project allows users to take their identity and friends with them to any third-party Web site, desktop application or device, while protecting the privacy of their contacts.

This effort has the potential to be fantastic for programmers as well as consumers. With more than 90 million users, Facebook will eclipse MySpace in total users sometime this year.

These users are hungry to move their data to other Web sites in a sort of decentralization of the primary social network, an idea that Zuckerberg proved he understands very well during his presentation. Facebook Connect will let users share actions on partner sites with their friends back on Facebook through feeds.

Imagine taking your Facebook profile data and securely moving it to a new social network so you don't have to enter in that data again, a repetition that is annoying even to those who only join a few social sites. That's what Connect promises.

Facebook has 24 Web sites and applications working with Connect.