Dear Facebook: Enough with the Applications
| by Eran Abramson on December 28, 2007 in Customer Experience |
Here is a challenge for you developers: create an application to opt out of Facebook application invites. Enough! I do not want to be bitten by you Vampires, I do not want to write on your wall, or a Super Wall, or a super dooper wall, or a dooper super dooper poking smiling wall.
There are so many applications developed for Facebook, with so many more added on a daily basis. Some of these are created for productivity, some for fun, but some are time wasters without providing any value. There are Wall and Poke variations with the Super Wall and SuperPoke!. The ‘Cities I’ve Visited‘ Map, shows the places where a particular friend has previously visited. For those that a simple Birthday notification on your home page just doesn’t do the trick, you can add the Birthday Alert application. As for different “game” applications, why bite your friends as a vampire alone, join forces with the Lycans (WereWolves) or Zombies.
So are these applications actually providing additional value to our daily lives? Do these tools truly allow us to get to know our friends a lot better? Or are they actually doing the opposite?
Since I have started my relationship with Facebook, I have added just one application. 2 minutes later…I removed it. Immediately after I downloaded the app (it is extremely unfortunate that I do not remember its name), I realized that these applications will drain my valuable time. Based on observation of my good friend’s utility of all the different ones they have added, I am glad I have not joined this trend.
Let’s take a look at some applications I have been invited to in the past. If you use or have heard of these, let us know if you think they are valuable or not. Also, tell us of other ones you think are great or not.
‘What Color Are you?‘, ‘Compare People‘, ‘Likeness‘, ‘How Good A Kisser Are You?‘, ‘Circle of Friends‘, ‘Sticky Notes‘, ‘What Kind of Lover Are You?‘, ‘Are YOU Interested?‘, ‘Graffiti‘, ‘My Aquarium‘, ‘Movies‘, ‘My Garden‘, ‘Flowershop‘, and more and more…
Some of these sound cute, some sound fun, some could even be considered practical, such as…My Aquarium (hmmm…?). Either way, we are drowned by these applications everyday, whether we have logged onto Facebook or not. So in all actuality, are these applications a wonderful feature, or a nuisance?
Since the current statistics stand at a new application is born every 5 seconds (I wish this actually had a real source), I want to suggest a few:
- The “Ignore Forever Application“. If I get invited by someone more than once (after I ignored them), I would like to click the ignore them forever feature. This will help filter out unknown Facebookers and the paparazzi.
- The “Wooden Stake and Silver Bullet Application“. If I get bitten by a vampire or attacked by a werewolf more than once, I want to be able to take care of these monsters the right way.
- And also The “I do not accept Application invites, for if I wanted to find an application, I would search for it myself Application“. This one I think speaks for itself.
By the way, I have copyright protection for my Applications I have suggested above. I guess before I will develop my ideas, I will create a Group for each…and invite ALL my friends.
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I think your ideas for additional Facebook buttons are great - especially the last one. I spend at least 5 minutes every time I log on pressing the ignore button over and over it seems…
Though I must admit I have one application - the send a drink one. It’s simple enough, just a stupid time waster as you mention, but non-intrusive, non-sexually charged, and well, you gotta have a little fun, right?
Plus friends have redeemed these drinks with me, and we’ve had a good time! I suppose I’m trying to defend myself here, I digress.
Comment by Kate C — December 28th, 2007 @ 8:37 pm
I agree with this, Facebook should focus on making quality applications instead of just releasing a huge quantity of them without first thinking about whether or not it will be good.
Comment by iPod Touch PSX — December 28th, 2007 @ 10:49 pm
That is so True! You are expressing in word what we all feel for months now…
Comment by Daniel — December 29th, 2007 @ 9:30 am
Hi Kate, “iPod Touch PSX, and Daniel, Thank you very much for visiting.
I think that some applications are truly made for fun, but it seems that it is has been carried away. There are application made for everyone and their pet now, and just checking to see if these are valuable is costing us a lot of time.
I really hope that developers begin to take further time into developing truly remarkable applications, and not just releasing them so quickly.
Comment by Eran Abramson — December 29th, 2007 @ 10:37 am
fantastic idea! we need that application to get away from unwanted invitation.. it takes time to click ignore button invitation.
Comment by gudang — December 29th, 2007 @ 11:00 am
“Here is a challenge for you developers: create an application to opt out of Facebook application invites. Enough!”
I’ve been saying this from the very beginning — the very thing that made Facebook popular is the very thing that’s going to drive people away.
I get sick of idiotic application invites.
I use my profile for business mostly, so I really can’t have “zombie chumps” and “what drink are you?” cluttering the place up…
Comment by Wayne Smallman — December 29th, 2007 @ 1:15 pm
You don’t have enough Facebook application requests. Here’s what mine looked like 1 month ago - the number has since increased
http://flickr.com/photos/pixelopera/2076116318/
Comment by Tamar Weinberg — December 30th, 2007 @ 12:41 am
Facebook applications are great you imbecile
Comment by John smith — December 30th, 2007 @ 1:01 am
Thank you for your comments,
@gudang: Maybe someone would actually take time and develop this application
I wonder if Facebook would allow it?
@Wayne: I appreciate the idea of Facebook but think it has gotten a little crazy. I use it when a message needs to be sent for a birthday, or when someone writes me a message. I do not see the necessity of all these things to save you time but rob of you of it also.
@Tamar: That image is amazing with all the colorful applications at the side. Thanks for sharing.
@John: You seem to feel very strongly about that, then share with us which applications you like, and why…
Comment by Eran Abramson — December 30th, 2007 @ 2:22 am
Precisely!!!stop the applications already!!i have your support!
Comment by shawn — December 30th, 2007 @ 3:52 am
Although I am merely repeating what everyone else is saying, I have to concur with your letter to Facebook. Now, I don’t even click on the invitations and let them add up because I do not feel like sifting through the mess to ignore and deny. It is ridiculous, not to mention I am beginning to feel a little creeped out by Facebook since ANYONE can get on now even without a college e-mail address.
Comment by Sunny — December 31st, 2007 @ 3:11 am
Hey Shawn and Sunny,
@Shawn: Thank you for your support
@Sunny: Even ignoring these invitations takes time away from our day, so whether we use ALL these applications, we are inconvenienced. Thanks for your feedback.
Comment by Eran Abramson — December 31st, 2007 @ 1:35 pm
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