Comments for Facebook Apps Hit 10k in Number: Are We Still Excited?

Facebook Apps Hit 10k in Number: Are We Still Excited?

2007-12-05T18:31:22Z

Facebook application review site FaceReviews.com reports today that there are now more than 10,000 Facebook applications available for the first time. In related news, I now know "what Disney princess I am" thanks to the super-hot app "Which Disney Princess Are You?"

I've believed for some time now that Facebook apps are overhyped. Facebook itself is hot as can be, but I believe that's because of the news feed, privacy controls and the site's look and feel far more than it is attributable to the apps. Many of the apps live entirely on your public-facing profile page instead of the user-facing admin page where your friends' news feed is displayed and where users of Facebook spend their time. Think I'm wrong? Why are there less than 20 Facebook apps that are used on a daily basis by more than 25% of the users who have installed that app. The vast majority of these 10,000 apps are installed and forgotten about.

There are counter-examples of course, not every app is a an insipid/entertaining lightweight. Josh Catone covered his Top 10 Facebook Apps for Work here on RWW in July. Geek artist Clay Newton says "Scrabulous is the new golf," meaning I suppose, that serious people do it together for fun. (Newton says the golf concept was FaceReviews' Rodney Rumford's idea.) The Where I've Been app lets people map their travels and was rumored to have been acquired for millions of dollars - but that was just one more wacky rumor as far as I can tell. The Causes application has seen a lot of adoption in the nonprofit world. Curt Hopkins of the Committee to Protect Bloggers has used it to make membership in his loose organization, but says it is "buggier than the underside of an old carpet."

It's a heated debate. A lot of people agree with me that these apps are all hype, a lot of people ar almost personally offended that I would talk smack about their semi-high-brow diversions (it's not like this is MySpace we're talking about! It's almost like LinkedIn!) Facebook analytics site Adonomics offers valuations for Facebook apps and says in aggregate that the 10k+ apps have a total valuation of more than $500 million. Adonomics says, though, that the total valuation of Facebook itself is a far greater $16.8 billion. Marshall says, though, that those numbers are insane.

Love 'em or hate 'em - how do you feel about Facebook apps? Have you taken out loans against your house and kids to pay developers to build one that will make you millions? Will OpenSocial reduce this once great ecosystem to just a spec in the larger social networking universe? What does it all mean?

Comment from Siqi Chen on 2007-12-05

2007-12-05T19:51:45Z

Can you name even twenty WEBSITES that are used by more than 25% of their registered user base on a daily basis?

Comment from Holly Ross on 2007-12-05

2007-12-05T19:54:14Z

Is it hype? Don't know yet. But I think you're thinking of metrics on the old school way here. I don't care that less than 20 apps are used by more than 25% of the FB base. Maybe an app is only used by 1% of the FB base, but those 1% are REALLY into it. The thing about FB, and in particular the apps, is that they let you get as niche-y as you want. It's not about mass delivery, it's about delivering the masses what they want as individuals.

Comment from Jeremy Pepper on 2007-12-05

2007-12-05T19:58:00Z

I think that a lot of the first round are hype-ish, but that there is value (both mindless drivel and real productivity) in all the applications.

As the market matures, I think we'll see FB applications that will be more and more useful to people.

And, you are so a Belle.

Comment from Marc on 2007-12-05

2007-12-05T21:27:51Z

It doesnt matter how many there are or how many are being used, it's the bottom line that counts. How many of these apps actually make revenue (and Im not talking about profit yet). Valuation is not synonomous with qty of users.......been there done that.

Comment from Rex Dixon on 2007-12-05

2007-12-05T21:38:37Z

fb apps are a mystery, but looking from my perspective being that Lookery for Facebook is a fb app ad network, I can safely say that people like @Siqi are making money. I'm sure on advertising alone (not just Lookery, but other ad networks) - he is banking a ton of cash - just for running ads.

So you tell me - are they profitable enough to hire someone to write a fb app? If you can come up with one where you can monetize via advertising from Lookery or other ad networks, it would be a nice bit of change to look forward to every month or so.

Could you live off of it? Maybe, as long as you could cover your server costs and keep people interested in the app.

Rex

Comment from Kathleen Mazzocco on 2007-12-05

2007-12-05T21:51:09Z

I use a simple smattering of Facebook apps, having recently removed a few that became nuisances. It's a constant effort to click "ignore" to all the invitations I receive to poke back, check likeness, compare tastes on movies I don't care about. There are a few apps however that are really valuable to me and my friends, like books and posts, and it is easy for me to imagine that there is a lot of potential for Facebook apps. But I didn't realize I could be a Disney princess! Btw, Belle makes perfect sense for you.

Comment from RS on 2007-12-05

2007-12-05T22:12:23Z

I was never excited.

Comment from Joey Tyson on 2007-12-05

2007-12-05T22:47:44Z

I personally think apps are still in their infancy. Many of the obvious ideas for social networking features are already included in Facebook (e.g. messaging, groups, photos, classifieds, etc.). I think the platform still offers tons of potential that most applications haven't even begun to tap yet.

Comment from CB on 2007-12-05

2007-12-05T23:33:33Z

I agree. Most of the apps on Facebook are completely useless and many are actually abandoned. I think there is room for some fun in these apps, I do enjoy a few. And I think over time the garbage will be filtered and the good stuff will bubble to the top.

There are some applications that are trying to be useful like MyOffice:

http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=20196811016

And others that are trying to do good things for less fortunate people, like Changing the Present:

http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=2551062524

Time will only tell if Facebook apps will survive in any relevant way.

Comment from Jesse on 2007-12-05

2007-12-05T23:48:01Z

The FB platform is pretty solid, so I think even if there are many junk Facebook Apps, there are also many good ones. The consumers will weed out the bad ones over time, right?

Here are some rough valuations for Facebook. I still think $15B is too high. Especially, if the total Facebook Apps are making $0.5B/year. Usually you have a 10x of revenue (or earnings) so it should be closer to $5B if anything, at the moment. But Facebook's potential is there and that's what people invest in: http://fishtrain.com/2007/11/07/facebook-valuation/

Comment from Vyrotek on 2007-12-05

2007-12-06T00:49:41Z

Facebook Apps Hit 10k in Number: Are We Still Excited? No

Comment from Free Chat Guy on 2007-12-05

2007-12-06T00:51:06Z

Facebook is taking a lot of heat on the privacy issue though. Not sure if it's enough to put much of a dent in them but it surely can't help.

Comment from Steve Boyd on 2007-12-05

2007-12-06T01:46:28Z

They are basically worthless. You can't do proper advertising in them so i fail to see how you're supposed to generate revenue via them, so they'll have no resale value. Facebook apps are extremely easy to get rid of, so any attempt to stream ads via them will see go byyyye byyye!

You could do viral branding marketing via them i.e. "trick out my 2008 Corvette" type app - but they are just like any other flash web-app which while useful, has a resale value of $0.

Comment from Manpreet Vohra on 2007-12-05

2007-12-06T01:55:17Z

From a apps development perspective the FB platform is not scalable and also closed. Open social is an attempt to solve that. But again its still young and need time to mature. Vendors want to get it out there as early as possible to gain ground.And only a handful of FB apps are really useful.

Comment from Indian Stallion on 2007-12-05

2007-12-06T02:24:45Z

How dare you insinuate it's all hype, Superpoke changed my life!

Comment from Chad on 2007-12-05

2007-12-06T06:51:02Z

Exciting for most people? No. Exciting for facebook developers? For sure.

We are also seeing many regular individuals (and companies) making a nice income from their facebook apps. Whether it is a fad or not, the fact is that nowhere else you have the POSSIBILITY to attract millions of users in a closed arena with 60 million (and growing fast) people. There is also nowhere else to get the exponential growth from these 60 million people and the "real world" social graph that facebook provides.

Also much has been said about the relevancy and life-span of facebook apps. How many times can you throw a sheep at someone (or poke or whatever) and still have fun? Not many for most. The apps will evolve on top of the social graph as it's user base grows and evolves.

In short, we think facebook is in fad phase a little bit yet. While the fad stage is ongoing however, peoples networks are spidering out and adding real friends and people. The worthless apps will get weeded out and what remains will be many highly useful and valuable apps and businesses based on facebook.

Chad
Ad Chap - Advertising for facebook

Comment from Josh on 2007-12-05

2007-12-06T07:07:51Z

I believe most of them are pure hype, but hey, that's the specialty of the PR teams and the marketing guys. What counts is that we see through it. And that's that.

Comment from Jimbo on 2007-12-06

2007-12-06T08:00:09Z

The only facebook app I'd be interested in adding to my page is one that blocks all app requests. There's just so many nonsense apps that I simply can't afford to press "ignore" on all of them.

Comment from Clyde Smith on 2007-12-06

2007-12-06T15:31:40Z

They've already got the hit Facebook apps so I guess folks are just building out the Facebook app longtail.

Comment from mankind on 2007-12-06

2007-12-06T16:02:41Z

I already read about Google want to buy Facebook with 2.3 billions but they refuse that offered.actually Facebook worth more than 12 billions!.

That what I'm read.Correct me if I'm wrong.

Comment from Web Dude on 2007-12-07

2007-12-07T11:41:54Z

I think this is just the first round of facebook apps. Some are good, most are bad. While I don't agree with the comments of some people who think applications will follow the "social graph", I think facebook (and/or other social networks) will become an essential marketing tool for everyone going forward.

So everyone will need to have some form of their application (either a widget or the whole 9 yards) on facebook. Widgets, imo, are almost like ads. Sometimes these ads tell the entire story and sometimes they are nothing but a sneak peak into the real thing.

Comment from Javaun Moradi on 2007-12-12

2007-12-13T04:57:00Z

99% of Facebook apps are beyond mere hype. They're outright adware and a general nuisance. It's bad enough that they exist, but I'm tired of receiving notifications that "so and so" just wrote on my superwall or someone made a great comment about me, but they only way I can find out what is by adding the app.

The best apps are utilities that extend the functionality and display information WITHOUT requiring your friends to install it. My friends can see the books I read, but aren't obligated to add the app unless they want to add their own books. Dogbook and catbook are frivolous but also hilarious, so they need to stay. I love the RSS data apps such as WordBook, which posts all of my WordPress blogs to my Facebook page. I do like the map apps which show all the places you've traveled. I also love the NPR podcast player which allows you to cycle through audio clips from your page(disclaimer: I recently joined NPR but had been using the app prior to that and had no hand in building it).

I could also definitely do without vampires/wolves/zombies/pirates/ninjas and whoever else is trying to fight or bite me.