What is an application in OConn? It's simply a web site or web application that interacts with users. OConn makes it possible to enable web sites to be “installed” into a user's profile with the click of a button. The user gets a simple experience and the application gains an instant profile.
When a user installs an application, they are directed back to their profile page for approval. This follows the standard OAuth 2.0 process. The user authorizes through a trusted site and retains control over their data.
Users can determine what level of access the requesting application has to their profile data, using privacy controls. Because it's an open standard with open source implementations, users can be assured that they have the right level of privacy support.
When an application uses OConn to add users, it gains support for a social graph without the hassle. Not only is one social graph shared across all web sites, but the application has a view into the graph and can interact with users at a level not permitted in the walled gardens of today. Sites will no longer have to implement their own social infrastructure. And by interacting with a user's profile, application developers can now have greater reach when marketing to new users. The process of posting to a user's status feed is now controlled by each user and not by a company.