Snaffled directly from TechCrunch:

Ning Rolls Out Facebook App Builder: Embed Your Social Network In a Social Network

Michael Arrington

Ning, the build-your-own social network startup, will be rolling out a new feature that allows users to create their own Facebook applications around their Ning networks later this evening.

This won’t be a Ning app – rather, they are giving network operators (users who’ve created Ning social networks and other applications) the ability to easily create a branded Facebook application. The example screen shot (click for larger view) shows integration of Pumkins Central (a Ning social network) videos. The screen shot also shows a separate Ning application showing the user’s Ning friends.

Ning says that no programming knowledge is required to build the applications, and that they will be giving easy step by step instructions to users. Since Ning is also hosting the application, users won’t need to worry about scaling.

Users will be able to add videos, music, podcasts, and photo slideshows to the application.

Smart move for Ning, and this also shows the power of Facebook as a platform and distribution channel, even for its competitors. This should go live later this evening – CEO Gina Bianchini hinted at it in a post on the Ning blog on Friday.

Laaaazy Sunday. Is this getting close to social networks 3.0? or at least 2.5? Moving from private, or closed (pseudo – walled gardens?) to open and connected? I know it’s not Tim Berners Lee explanation of semantic ‘one time mashup’ web but for social networks its a move to the next level no?