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Facebook screws app developers on notifications

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Re: Facebook screws app developers on notifications

#11

Post by pasbesoin »

jamiemchale wrote: post #6
jkubicek wrote: post #3

If your business model is reliant on annoying the users of a proprietary 3rd party platform, you shouldn't be surprised when the rug gets yanked out from underneath you.

The point was that if Facebook are providing the APIs and encouraging developers to use them then it's a crappy thing to yank the rug away. I don't think that it's a great idea to build a business model that relies on Facebook - but at some stages of developing an app it is very useful to use Facebook facilities to implement a social graph and notifications, so that you don't have to.

Facebook is in business for Facebook.

They're willing (and smart) to leverage independent efforts where they assist this. But... only so long as they do.

Look at it from this perspective: If a functionality becomes important, would they not be "derelict" in their duty not to attempt to bring it under their control? In-house, acquisition, whatever.

If you choose to help them out, they're not going to say no. But you should keep the balance of power in such a relationship in mind.

Re: Facebook screws app developers on notifications

#12

Post by potatolicious »

jamiemchale wrote: post #6
jkubicek wrote: post #3

If your business model is reliant on annoying the users of a proprietary 3rd party platform, you shouldn't be surprised when the rug gets yanked out from underneath you.

The point was that if Facebook are providing the APIs and encouraging developers to use them then it's a crappy thing to yank the rug away. I don't think that it's a great idea to build a business model that relies on Facebook - but at some stages of developing an app it is very useful to use Facebook facilities to implement a social graph and notifications, so that you don't have to.

> "I don't think that it's a great idea to build a business model that relies on Facebook"

Correction: it's a bad idea to build a business model that relies on screwing Facebook, on Facebook's platform.

One of Facebook's priorities is keeping its users engaged and happy - invite-heavy, spammy apps run directly contrary to that goal (in a very egregious, very serious way). It is no surprise that Facebook slammed that door shut.

This is generalizable to: if you are reliant on a third party platform and your interests are aligned against the interests of the platform, you will fail.

Re: Facebook screws app developers on notifications

#14

Post by Irishsteve »

Whats annoying about all these new fandangeled web platforms is that they really screw third party developers over with drastic API changes which only benefit their own interests.

This is totally different to how things used to be done back in the desktop software era.... oh wait... oops.

P.s it sucks to be small and at the mercy of big boys

Re: Facebook screws app developers on notifications

#15

Post by makomk »

misnome wrote: post #9
rhizome wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't use FB apps, but by any chance is it common to provide rewards to users for inviting their friends via Requests?

Yes, at least if not directly - then by making it harder to proceed without "friends" playing the games. Also, it's not like they have carefully selected the group of friends that they want! The ones I have seen just have a "Send to all friends" tickbox.

It's still allowed for games, though.

Re: Facebook screws app developers on notifications

#16

Post by mattmaroon »

This story is about 3 years late. Facebook long, long ago made notifications unreliable. They just took them from near-worthless to totally worthless for some apps.

Nobody who has any clue what they're doing is relying on those notifications getting through en masse now, at least not without a contract with Facebook.

Re: Facebook screws app developers on notifications

#17

Post by idoh »

rhizome wrote: post #8
jamiemchale wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The main frustration here is that the Requests are those that are actively initiated by a user. A friend is actively trying to invite you to the app, rather than just an app spamming those who have once installed it.

I don't use FB apps, but by any chance is it common to provide rewards to users for inviting their friends via Requests?

The fb policy is that you aren't allowed to incentivize the sending of requests, but you can give a reward for someone accepting a request. A subtle distinction, but a distinction nonetheless.

Re: Facebook screws app developers on notifications

#19

Post by deservingend »

Irishsteve wrote: post #14

Whats annoying about all these new fandangeled web platforms is that they really screw third party developers over with drastic API changes which only benefit their own interests. This is totally different to how things used to be done back in the desktop software era.... oh wait... oops. P.s it sucks to be small and at the mercy of big boys

It benefits the Facebook user, which is what they should care about.

It sucks to be small and at the mercy of app developer spam.

Maybe it's time to create real products rather than just exploit the Facebook API to spread garbage?

Re: Facebook screws app developers on notifications

#20

Post by deservingend »

jamiemchale wrote: post #7
purplefruit wrote: post #2

As a facebook user, I'm happy I'm not longer gonna get "your friend has invited you to this app..." notifications. As a developer, though, I can see why this would be frustrating.

The main frustration here is that the Requests are those that are actively initiated by a user. A friend is actively trying to invite you to the app, rather than just an app spamming those who have once installed it.

App developers trick users into sending out that garbage.

Create something people actually want and you won't have to spend your life trying to exploit every possible loophole in Facebook's system.

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