Facebook Connect: Wizards and translators aim to connect with more sites

Facebook made two announcements this week relating to Facebook Connect, the universal-log-in product it offers to third-party developers and websites.

Both are aimed at making Connect more ubiquitous: first, a tool called Translations for Facebook Connect that simplifies the process of translating the product into more languages, and second, the Facebook Connect Wizard for incorporating the product into a site with little developer expertise required.

Facebook first announced that Connect would be available in a multilingual format this summer. Now, the tool can be used to translate any site into the language of a given user who's logged in with Connect.

Facebook Connect introduces the Connect Wizard that aims to get the service onto more sites (photo credit: Facebook)

At last count, about 15,000 sites had implemented Facebook Connect, a product that statistics firm Hitwise says gave the social network enough momentum to propel it past once-bigger rival MySpace in terms of US traffic. Launching international translations of the main Facebook site - which the company ended up "crowdsourcing" to users starting early last year - is largely credited with kickstarting the social network's growth globally.

Facebook now has more than 300 million active users around the world.

"Establishing a presence on the social web requires fundamental building blocks," a post by Facebook employee Alex Himel explained as it announced the Facebook Connect Wizard. "Facebook provides these essential tools, including identity for a great registration system, and immediate access to 300 million active global users. Facebook Connect gives entrepreneurs of all sizes - and with varying developer resources - the ability to build traffic efficiently through reaching a relevant audience, while offering an engaging user experience."

Original article: Facebook Connect branches out from CNET News.com