by Steve O'Hear
May 8th, 2008 @ 10:57 am

Having previously talked the talk when it comes to data portability, MySpace is beginning to walk the walk: announcing its own ‘data portability’ initiative, supported by partners Yahoo, Twitter and eBay. Dubbed MySpace ‘Data Availability’, users will be able to optionally share their public profile data with participating sites, along with their MySpace photos, MySpaceTV videos, and friend lists.

From the release: “The walls around the garden are coming down—the implementation of Data Availability injects a new layer of social activity and creates a more dynamic Internet,” said Chris DeWolfe, CEO and co-founder of MySpace. “We, alongside our Data Availability launch partners, are pioneering a new way for the global community to integrate their social experiences Web-wide.”

Data Availability on Yahoo: “… users that have chosen to share their MySpace content and data with Yahoo! Instant Messenger might find their MySpace default photo, interests, and favorite music displayed to their Messenger contacts directly in the IM client.”

Data Availability on Twitter: “Twitter profiles at present are primarily focused on current updates and are relatively sparse on user information. The MySpace Data Availability initiative enriches the current Twitter profile by empowering users to incorporate their MySpace profile content and data points… a user will be able to bring in their MySpace content and data including their bio, blogs, and photos, ultimately making the Twitter site a more enriching site with content previously unavailable in its interface.”