We're starting down the 'long tail' path of Facebook apps where the long tail is infected with lots of 'craplets', mainly because they're easy to develop and they offer a predictable growth curve and success path.
But that doesn't mean we're only seeing crappy apps on Facebook, there are a number of apps that are beginning to provide real value to users, not least is Eat-A-Rama, our new restaurant sharing and discovery app that has the largest number of real restaurant listings in North America, over a quarter million at last count. It's an example of how you can offer people real utility that takes advantage of the social connections that Facebook has built in to its platform.
On another note, I recently looked at the Top 20 apps, according to Adonomics, and there's an interesting shift going on there. The list is populated with well-known apps like Super Wall and Graffiti and Vampires, etc. These are the juggernauts of the app world in terms of how many usere they have but what was interesting is that over 75% of them appear to be on the decline and not just a one-week decline but they appear to trend downward. Not sure if this will rectify itself but it could mean that a change is taking place. Who will take over the top spots? Who knows, but it could be apps that offer real usefulness. I, for one, hope so!
noah kagan
· 1 year ago
i think the question is what do the users want and which users are using this applications? i guess you can say the results speak for themselves.
Ryan Miller
· 1 year ago
They definitely need a "rate this application" feature for QUANTITATIVE parsing of application quality. (the shout-out "wall" reviews are useless). The rating should be prominently places on the app install page so that when you get an invitation you can easily evaluate before installing. Applications below a certain rating threshold should have limits placed on invitations sent out to limit their viral potential (i.e. no more than 5 invites per user sent out instead of 20). Newsfeed and mini-feed event maximums for those applications should also be crippled to limit their viral potential.
Jonathan Kleiman
· 1 year ago
The beauty, not the flaw, of this whole this is the easy accessability.
If people want to find GOOD apps, I suggest they find a trusted app reviewer :)
Michael Sheehan
· 1 year ago
Facebook should adopt a digg style rating system for applications.
Alternatively they should develop an algorithm which "scores" applications based not on the number of users but the usage of the application and the time between installing it and removing it.
Finally they should introduce an accreditation system whereby developers could submit their application for consideration as a "Facebook Gold App" (or something similar)
Yon
· 1 year ago
The part I hate more is when they decide you have to invite your friends... personally, I want to try the app first to invite. Why app developers are always tempting you to invite your friends? It's really annoying. Say NO to pyramidal apps!!
And yes, also there's a lot of crap tests... I don't see the point in socialize via crap tests.
All Comments
But that doesn't mean we're only seeing crappy apps on Facebook, there are a number of apps that are beginning to provide real value to users, not least is Eat-A-Rama, our new restaurant sharing and discovery app that has the largest number of real restaurant listings in North America, over a quarter million at last count. It's an example of how you can offer people real utility that takes advantage of the social connections that Facebook has built in to its platform.
On another note, I recently looked at the Top 20 apps, according to Adonomics, and there's an interesting shift going on there. The list is populated with well-known apps like Super Wall and Graffiti and Vampires, etc. These are the juggernauts of the app world in terms of how many usere they have but what was interesting is that over 75% of them appear to be on the decline and not just a one-week decline but they appear to trend downward. Not sure if this will rectify itself but it could mean that a change is taking place. Who will take over the top spots? Who knows, but it could be apps that offer real usefulness. I, for one, hope so!
If people want to find GOOD apps, I suggest they find a trusted app reviewer :)
Alternatively they should develop an algorithm which "scores" applications based not on the number of users but the usage of the application and the time between installing it and removing it.
Finally they should introduce an accreditation system whereby developers could submit their application for consideration as a "Facebook Gold App" (or something similar)
And yes, also there's a lot of crap tests... I don't see the point in socialize via crap tests.