You’ve probably had friends and loved ones on Facebook send you “Save The Whales” invitations or notices to take the “There, They’re, Their” test or “25 Things You Don’t Know About Me.” Welcome to the growing world of Facebook applications.
The Facebook Platform has over 52,000 applications and because of its increasing number, the social network has decided to launch a new Application Directory.
If you spend any time in Facebook (at this point in the game, you really should be) you’re mostly likely able to distinguish the good apps from the annoying. The new Application Directory offers Featured by Facebook apps and Applications You May Like.
According to Facebook, Applications You May Like “includes the most popular apps on the site, ones your friends have used recently or those that are being suggested based on your current favorites.”
Featured by Facebook apps are ones that Facebook will highlight on the page with an intro about the application. I recently read a New York Times article that states developers can pay $375 in order to have better placement in Facebook’s Application Directory for users to download. It’s unclear whether these “sponsored” apps will appear under the Featured by Facebook or the Applications You May Like sections.
Facebook has also introduced Verified Apps which are applications reviewed by Facebook and have a green check mark next to the app listing. Facebook states, “When an application completes the verification process, they commit to extra steps for providing a trustworthy experience that meets your expectations.”
The new Application Directory was launched yesterday. Have you used the new Application Directory yet? If so, has it been helpful? Give us your thoughts.
I used it…not very helpful. I wanted an app for a specific task and it was hard to search, and difficult to evaluate the appropriateness of the responses I did get.