Comment by jasonkester
16 years ago
Actually, it is like they stop you from exporting. Here's the message I get when I try to import my contacts into Faceboook:
Google did not return any of your contacts. You can still find your friends on Facebook by uploading a file of your Gmail contacts below.
... followed by instructions on how to download my gmail contacts to a file and re-upload them.
So it seems that Google's implementation of their "whining at you about their problems while you're just trying to get on with your life" page is broken.
The end result is that you cannot export your contacts from Gmail at the present.
Clicking on the link to the "trap" page and checking "Proceed with exporting this data" brings up a "Download my contact information" button. Clicking that gives me a csv file with all my Google contact information.
So I can certainly export my Google contact data. I don't have a Facebook account, so I don't know whether it can import it. But the data is there, in an easy to parse format.
You can export them just fine - they just aren't allowing a 3rd party site to automatically import them - they're making you consciously do it yourself.
To someone who can do it either way, this may just seem like an annoyance, but a great many people won't grasp the severity of what they are about to do by handing their credentials for gmail over to facebook.
Exactly. One week ago, you could seamlessly import them into Facebook.
We're all here because we build web apps for a living. And none of us would ever consider doing something like that with one of our own sites. I have no idea why anybody at Google thought that this was a good idea.
Facebook is play a greedy game theory strategy by not allowing for a user to download their social graph. Googles response was to use a tit for tat game theory strategy which is effective against the greedy game theory strategy.
The greedy game theory strategy in this case ends up being bad for consumers, they can not download their social graph from Facebook. Game theory subjects that when the vast major of agents are using the greedy strategy that is is impractical for a generous or tit for tact agent to survive. Each company that plays the greedy strategy is a step down the road to the greedy equilibrium. Where no companies offer easy methods to download your social graph or relevant information.
Google played a tit for tat strategy and did the world a service by preventing one step on the road to the greedy equilibrium.
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There is a positive effect from the change: more people will be aware of Facebook's practices with respect to their contact data. I think Google is betting that this positive effect outweighs the negative effects.
Because Gmail can't import Facebook contacts. Google is trying to use it's influence to encourage Facebook to improve it's data portability while still not locking users in.
Seems like a good idea to me.
With respect, none of our own sites have the heft of Google behind it.
But it is true that Facebook doesn't allow exporting user's contact data. So I think Google is making a valid point here. You are still free to do whatever with your own data - unlike Facebook. They are just making sure that you understand the risks in doing so.