Very true, Google set out to help developers on the application side. Which, to be honest, looks like it will be ok. But, until there is an open cross social network standard, developers are still gonna be pissing in the wind. Users will be moving from social network A to B to C (as they have done from Myspace to facebook etc.) depending on where there friends go, or the latest 'great' feature, and the development platform will still be at the whim of the social network. Only when the social networks become open will the userbase become stable - until then there is no possibility of knowing what platform will be an 'open standard'.

Unless google can force this opening up, using opensocial, then it is all just temporary and a bit pointless (except for the obvious quick buck for developers). I can see few users saying - yea, all my friends are on facebook, but i'll not bother staying in contact with them cos i can play pong with a guy i dont know on linkedin.