How to extend a website?

Question

This is quite a concept idea. I would like to create a website that can be extend by different programmer a bit "a la facebook" Let's me explain i want to develop a very simple core application that for example would store images and i want to develop or allow external developer to develop web app that would be able to act on the image i can take this example of an OS that would store files and you can "install" different program for example to view the files or edit.

How can i reproduce the model in the Web / cloud plateform using API ?

I hope this question make sense to any body.

Thank you by advance

Answer 1

Web Services. Try looking up REST and SOAP.

Answer 2

The Semantic Web is trying to solve this by publishing structured data with common ontologies.

See this example, describing the user's photos as RDF, using the FOAF ontology: http://www.semanticoverflow.com/questions/201/describing-in-a-foaf-file-assets-of-a-user-photo-album-video-album-etc

The Semantic Overflow website is an excelent resource to find out more about the semantic web in general, and how creating webservices that use a common set of interfaces can allow a greater reach, because tools don't have to be specific to a website.