I don't know much about their API so I can't comment on that, but things like this: http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/09/06/facebook-opening-up-but... don't make them look like good citizens of the Web.

the fact that you can't comment on it's api is a pretty big reason why you shouldn't be throwing out remarks like "walled garden" just because you see marketing sites (techcrunch) doing it, they too understand little about the technology they write about.

btw facebook released an api method to do the status change thing you can get more info here: http://developers.facebook.com/documentation.php?v=1.0&d...

everything is behind login screens so search engines can't index it. you consume it and interact with it on facebook's terms. whether it's a data roach motel, or a walled garden, or whatever, it's basically an AOL bromide that will make a few people very rich and then eventually fade into mediocrity and obscurity.

OMG gmail has a login screen.. eww data roach motel!!!

the information you read on facebook be it notes by your friends, their pictures, relationship status or what have you, doesn't make much sense in a public search. Either you have never used facebook or simply don't understand it.

the answer to your troubles lies here: http://developers.facebook.com/terms.php

would you mind being more specific as to what part of the tos you consider to be so horribly closed? please complement your response with examples of other more open systems on the interwebs