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I’m done building Facebook apps for clients

ryanwaggoner.com

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Re: I’m done building Facebook apps for clients

#61

Post by fbdev »

andrewf wrote: post #3

I recently ported my app back to the old Javascript API; I wish I could say that it was for the superior older documentation, but it was actually because the new API randomly stopped returning my calls from time to time. All of the big moneymakers' apps are built on the older stuff, so I figure when it breaks, it gets a bit more love. The documentation is still shoddy, the Bing-powered documentation search is abysmal…

This is a throwaway account. I'm a full-time developer for a huge company that uses Facebook as it's platform.

There still is a preferred developer program for the bigger companies out there but it doesn't really offer much of anything. Go back a year though and it was a big benefit.

Re: I’m done building Facebook apps for clients

#62

Post by fbdev »

ojbyrne wrote: post #9

I think they do this on purpose - rapidly changing apis, and having poor or overly verbose documentation is a way to weed out all but the largest development companies, thereby reducing support costs, and allowing partnerships with the big companies that survive. It's right from microsoft's playbook.

This is a throwaway account. I'm a full-time developer for a huge company that uses Facebook as it's platform.

Ww get next to nothing useful from facebook these days. Sure, we have a dedicated internal contact, but it isn't very beneficial. We hear news maybe a week before it's released to the general public, but there is no feedback from them on critical regressions that affect our business. Facebook is pretty much a black hole when it comes to communication.

Re: I’m done building Facebook apps for clients

#63

Post by kingnothing »

far33d wrote: post #38
bemmu wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So when you like something, it doesn't actually appear in friends' newsfeeds? Elaborations please.

It does - I think the OP is referring to all the open graph data you need to add to your page to have this functionality work properly.

For what it's worth, it's only five lines of meta tags that are well documented.

Re: I’m done building Facebook apps for clients

#66

Post by stretchwithme »

jsankey wrote: post #52
ojbyrne wrote: post #9

I think they do this on purpose - rapidly changing apis, and having poor or overly verbose documentation is a way to weed out all but the largest development companies, thereby reducing support costs, and allowing partnerships with the big companies that survive. It's right from microsoft's playbook.

You think "rapidly changing apis" is "right from microsoft's playbook"? Microsoft has been known to abandon a platform (VB6 being the prime example), but they have also put tremendous effort into preserving compatibility in their APIs. So while they may have introduced new APIs over time, they've also shouldered the massive burden of keeping the old way working for many years. I would even say they realised this was…

If they'd done things the facebook way, they'd never have made it past DOS.

Re: I’m done building Facebook apps for clients

#68

Post by patrickk »

fbdev wrote: post #62
ojbyrne wrote: post #9

I think they do this on purpose - rapidly changing apis, and having poor or overly verbose documentation is a way to weed out all but the largest development companies, thereby reducing support costs, and allowing partnerships with the big companies that survive. It's right from microsoft's playbook.

This is a throwaway account. I'm a full-time developer for a huge company that uses Facebook as it's platform. Ww get next to nothing useful from facebook these days. Sure, we have a dedicated internal contact, but it isn't very beneficial. We hear news maybe a week before it's released to the general public, but there is no feedback from them on critical regressions that affect our business. Facebook is pretty much…

"Facebook is pretty much a black hole when it comes to communication."

Oh, the irony.

Re: I’m done building Facebook apps for clients

#69

Post by steve19 »

Gobiner wrote: post #46
far33d wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It does - I think the OP is referring to all the open graph data you need to add to your page to have this functionality work properly.

Yup, the whole point of putting a `Like` button your page is so that site visitors can broadcast your page to their friends. However, to cause that broadcast to actually occur you have to put a bunch of Open Graph meta tags on your page and also (I think?) have a registered Facebook Application to go along with your site. There's no place that's documented except for the developer forums.

> also (I think?) have a registered Facebook Application to go along with your site.

Can you please elaborate on this? I thought it was just the meta tags that were needed?

Re: I’m done building Facebook apps for clients

#70

Post by zacharyvoase »

zacharyvoase wrote: post #2

I, and several people I know, have been in this situation before. Facebook seems to have very little commitment to backwards-compatibility and comprehensive documentation. On a more general note, I’d strongly recommend against building your entire business around a single platform.

To clarify this point: the Facebook platform is provided gratis, but there are no contractual obligations preventing them from yanking, changing or breaking the service. As a business, you must ask yourself how easily you could adapt if they were to do so. Is that a risk you are willing to take?

tl;dr: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket, especially if said basket has a history of breaking.

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