In order to portray itself as different from its competitors, Yahoo is playing up its openness in order to gain user share, reports AdAge.

One tactic in this overall strategy is the release of an API by Yahoo for its Panama ad platform. The release, which occurred several days ago, allows people to create their own applications on the Panama framework. Only Panama's search system is open at present but Yahoo plans to open other components of Panama in the near future.

Yahoo's decision to be transparent and community-friendly in its applications comes shortly after social-networking site Facebook announced a similar release.