23Musings

So the backlash has begun. There are groups on Facebook devoted to keeping it free of the kind of useless apps that are popping up daily on the platform and other groups begging it not to turn into another MySpace (which is interesting when MySpace has recently added structure and clarity to profile layouts). Brad Stone wrote a great article in the NY Times about the proliferation of applications for the platform.

And now we have the ultimate app! Dramatic Whitespace is just that, a square of whitespace which you can place on your profile. Developed by a guy called Adam Bildersee it has 21 active users (not bad for something that does nothing).

I get loads of app requests from friends to become anything from a zombie to a keeper of virtual goldfish. Now none of that adds any value to my experience of Facebook, what I want are apps that add functionality, add value, integrate with other web services I use, deliver me useful information and allow me to make Facebook a homepage for my browser. Currently my homepage is Netvibes (including a Facebook app which means I don’t have to visit the social network too often) which I love, Facebook has a long, long way to go before it could ever provide that much usefulness.