Caution, Just a fast post today because the Apple Launch of Ping reminded me of something. OK ping will cut out the middle man between social networks and iTunes. This is a perfect example of why you should never build off of these sites or other people tools. All the big companies open up code and provide APIs for a reason. They want others to build tools to give them ideas. If you built a tool for twitter that links iTunes you are now screwed because your product is obsolete.

This has been a pet peeve of mine for years. These guys say “build Tools” and “softeware for Facebook or Twitter”. That’s such BS. You will spend months learning how to do it and build it and then the host you are leaching from will implement the idea on their own.

Another example is MYSpace. They just had a nail driven into their coffin with this deal. They thrive on being the social outlet for musicians. Now that iTunes has a in house social hook users of MySpace will surly decrees even more.

You will find hundreds of websites built on other websites that have been relegated to the junk heap.