Facebook cripples RockYou SuperWall, it goes down hill rapidly
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July 08th 2008 |
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Facebook is such a killjoy lately for the two biggest fb8 app developers. just when slide managed to recover Top Friends after more than a week of inactivity, the application fell from grace on active users but managed to retain 1 million active users. but that was not the same for RockYou superwall that has fallen below 600k active users from 2.4 million active users in a matter of days when Facebook cut out the notification and invitation invitation from superwall.
Unlike Slide case of Hackery being the cause. SuperWall offense is its spammy nature. what is interesting is the why o such decrease compared with Top Friends?. as someone who has suffered from getting notifications of both apps it is clear that Top Friends got a better engagement and retention level because of the sociological factor in the app being different from superwall. superwall is a simple utility that overlaps with Facebook Wall and its main attractive is that is promises to enhance that app. in the case of Top Friends it is a Automatic and persistent utility with a lower level of manageability than super wall and removing it would cause a immediate doubt in the user toward the reaction his/her “top friends” may have if the app is removed. it is a subtle but subconscious thing.
I say it so because i had reactions like that when i removed that app unlike with SuperWall where there is not that social element because in Facebook “lore” being a “Top Friend” means being a actual friend.
SuperWall on the other hand is more like a chore to you if you don`t have the app because it is a replicated communication channel that overlaps with the original app. without notifications, users are more than willing to let that app go without second thougths about it since there is no activity to be had.
Facebook punishes RockYou`s Baby via AllFacebook
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Mixed reactions… Good that developers that abuse the rules are being punished. Some of the spammier apps have ruined the experience for other application developers. Bad that the more they continue to limit the viral social aspects for some these apps will limit their ability to grow.
Comment by Greg Rau — 07-9-08 @ 10:47 am
@Greg:
yeah, the FB8 platform is tainted, it always has been from the start anything beyond the TOP 10 app developers simply got no chance in Facebook.
I think that in the End MySpace is a better choice and that makes it clear that OpenSocial turned to be something good, while it not really solves full comptability it does makes development easier. i think that what is next is a combination of platform and social graph levered into both web and desktop. social graphed Widgets and Widget-apps with a strong Platform will be the way to go.
Comment by Avatar — 07-9-08 @ 10:09 pm