I’m sure I’m not the first - and I won’t be the last - to comment on the future of Facebook, but the simple fact is that it needs to be said: if we’re not careful, Facebook will die a unique death: not because of spam (like MySpace) or constant crashes (no, that fate is reserved for Twitter) but simply because of its very beautiful but much abused applications architecture.
The Facebook community is very savvy to this, hosting a number of groups that call for the developers to either
- ban applications from demanding that the user invites their friends, or
- scrap the entire architecture completely.
The second will never happen because systems like Photos, Videos and indeed Groups are built on this architecture. I think the first suggestion is a good one, but it doesn’t stop the problem because, although I receive very few application requests now, I still see the items in my News Feed and am constantly assailed with statements like “Steve has added the Are You a Fish or a Microwave application”. [Shudder]
I think first off there needs to be a clear distinction between
- a functional enhancement to the system (like Photos and Videos etc),
- a box to add to your profile (like Where I’ve Been or What I’m Listening to) and
- a waste of time (like Super Wall or Pirates vs Vampires or whatever).
Mark Zuckerberg and his team then need to work on allowing users to specify which application-types they might be interested in, and better still categorise the apps based on interests (Catbook for pet lovers, What I’m Reading for the bookish types etc). Then, much like the Profile Cleaner Greasemonkey script, we need the choice to ban applications from displaying on other people’s pages, so we can get straight to someone’s Wall to leave them a message.
If you’re not a massive Facebook user, here’s just a taster of some of the applications in my block list, in alphabetical order:
- Animated GIFTS (does Facebook not already have a Gifts application, and why do they need animating?)
- Aston Villa Fans and Aston Villans (why use two disparate apps when one group will do?)
- Could you pass the U.S. Citizenship test? (isn’t this what Posted Items are for?)
- Flirt With Hotties (is Facebook now doing 0898 numbers?)
- FunWall (the team improved the Wall so apps like this could be removed)
- Instant Messaging (cast your eyes to the top of the screen. See where it says Inbox? Now don’t let the door hit you on the way out)
- Nicest Friends (how bad would you feel if you weren’t on this list?)
- PENIS or VAGINA? (just a coffee thanks)
- Poke Pro (for when poking isn’t enough and you have to be that extra 10% more irritating)
- R U CUTE! (no, but I can spell and I don’t speak like a moron)
- Say Merry Christmas (it’s February)
- Scrabulous (why would I go to your Facebook profile to play Scrabble when I can do that on any number of sites?)
- Send Diamonds, Send Good Karma, Send Roses (see Gifts)
- Vampires, WereWolves (I’m none of the above; neither am I a pirate or a zombie)
- What Age Do You Act? (old enough to know how to use the Internet)
- What Drink Are You?, What Drug Are You?, What Underwear Are You? (the list goes on)
- what type of dancer are you? (this developer hasn’t even bothered to capitalise the name of his app)
- Who Has The Biggest Brain? (me: I have a tidy profile)
Facebook, it’s time to tighten up.
