The buzz on the web over the last week has been the release of Google’s OpenSocial. OpenSocial is a mark-up language that developers can use to write applications on a host of sites. Companies that have committed to OpenSocial include MySpace, Bebo, Google, Hi5, Friendster, SixApart, and more.

OpenSocial creates a range of opportunities for companies, developers, and users to benefit from the social power of the web. Companies save resources by not having to code the same app for multiple sites. Users benefit because they can transport data across every site they use. At Rapleaf, we’re excited about OpenSocial and the mission of making data portable.

Our newly released API v2 allows companies and developers to access portable user data – memberships, demographics, and reputation – and import that data for use in their own sites. Any developer can ping our API with an email and we’ll return information on the person, including:

- Memberships: links to their social network profiles (Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, etc)

- Demographics: name, age, gender, location, and occupation

- Reputation: Rapleaf score and ratings

Site’s are already using this information to benefit their users – pulling in links to their social networks or automatically completing profile info.

As the mission of portable social graphs and identities evolve, we look forward to seeing sites and users benefit from the Rapleaf API and OpenSocial.

You can access the new Rapleaf API docs here