Facebook has just announced that applications on Facebook Platform can now be able to take advantage of the site’s built-in chat functionality, which launched last spring. Developers will now be able to present users with a list of their Facebook Chat buddies, tailoring the list to best suit their application (for example, they can choose to only present friends that already have the app installed).
Facebook users have been able to use Chat and their Facebook apps simultaneously since Chat launched (one of its biggest selling points is that it remains open at the bottom of the screen, no matter where on the site you go). But until now applications didn’t really have a way to tap into the power of Facebook Chat to help make their applications more social.
Aside from adding an enhanced social element to applications, the new feature could also help apps go viral much more quickly than they would using the standard Email invite system most Facebook apps employ. Developers can now present users with a list their friends who are online (even those that don’t necessarily have their apps installed), who they can then send invites via chat messages. Invites sent over chat have a greater sense of urgency and intimacy, so it’s likely that they’ll be more effective than invites sent through the site’s Email system.
Of course, integration with Chat gives apps on Facebook yet another way to try to spam you. In the dark ages of Platform, when every app seemed to spam users with reckless abandon, I might have been more concerned about this, but I suspect Facebook already has some measures in place to prevent abuse. And even if they don’t, you can always just sign out of Chat if things get bad.
Does this mean that sites with FB connect can now utilize FB chat?
If you would like to add chat (and other social features) to your site right now, you can via CloudShout (cloudshout.com). With CloudShout, you can interact with your site visitors, and they with each other, in near real time.
The system comes with preloaded apps that add a sitewide chat room and private chat (im) between you and other visitors. The system is also expandable, giving third party developers access to the chat protocols to develop javascript widgets… like multiplayer games (there is a checkers game available that is an example of this).
If you are interested, here is an example of the chat features built in: vimeo.com/2615180 (the entire CloudShout channel is available here vimeo.com/channels/26270). If you would like a key to install Cloudshout on your blog/site, just message @cloudshout. I’m also available to answer any questions you have about the system, just get in touch via that twitter account. Thanks.
It will come soon.
So now people can not only spam others with application requests, they can do so within chat windows.
And the improvement here is?
It’s really easy to implement! Here’s one of the first apps to use chat invites:
apps.facebook.com/friend_score/index.php?view=invite&ref=techcrunch
Sorry, this link works:
http://apps.fac...;ref=techcrunch
Testin FB connect
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wtf, could we get some way of voting this kind of shit down via a new commenting system?
this and the locator shit.
Facebook is over rated. Period.
On the other hand, thank god most other web 2.0 companies like Twitter aren’t.
So basically, here comes the MySpaceification of Facebook. Chats full of adversals, game messages and idiotic beeps.
Soon to come, user created glitter profiles, and 13 year olds!
Hello Linkedin!
Interesting, i will try to give it a spin and see how easy it is ?
Is Meebo not mentioned??? I thought using the word “Chat” on TC calls for mentioning Meebo in the same post.
Wow, it’s going to be cool.
So any word on using this for fb connect. I help run http://HerHotSpot.com and this would be a great feature integrate. Any help would be much appreciated.
This also means, virus can easily spread thru chat. I have some friends who sent me chat messages containing links without the user’s permission.
I hope Facebook is doing something to prevent this.
there should be something to cope with spam.
Gareth/FB “Games Guy” had a great conversation with me at our private Kontagent Social Games Workshop about 3 weeks ago… missed my one “amateur blogger” news break. =)
This is a fantastic viral channel for developers that want to work synchronous real time experiences on Facebook — which many are starting to move towards with their social game designs.
The issue of spam is relatively easy to control. Just throttle down abusers with notification limits based on user feedback. Facebook has done a commendable job of balancing viral channel abuse over time. Its not perfect, but currently its better than every other social networking platform.
—
albert lai | ceo | kontagent facebook analytics
great. more ways to “connecting people” and hopefully it wont slow down overall facebooking experience as some apps tend to do just that
Facebooks got new competition! I did not see anything that facebook has that this pre-launch won’t be able to out do! You guys better start warming up you Twitter apps cause this one is going to crunch and crunch, HI WORLD, BIG TIME! CHA/CHA CHing and for the everybody, ha huh, yep! Oh and they connect to facebook too!! I see people in money heaven, and they are not dumb, or dead! Have a fantastic eternity, get your relativity on, thank you very much, and God Bless!
I really don’t like that when I’m chatting with somebody, it shows me that they just joined a group, or added a new contact, etc. I don’t need to know that they’re off doing other stuff while we’re chatting. It’s creepy.
Facebook is making some mistakes in a scramble to catch up with twitter, which I think is a bigger threat than people realize, even to Google.
tips@techcrunch.com.
facebook lately launched a ‘verification’ program to sort out the ‘well behaving’ apps. yet, it seems they have abandoned developers who paid USD 375 to join, just look: forum.developers.facebook.com/viewtopic.php?id=29721
they are not even telling us when they will launch the program (let alone that we don’t even know what we paid for). i would like someone to cover this if possible, it’s totally ridiculous treatment. plus facebook never responds to developers unless some big site forces them to
This is awesome!! Can’t wait to see more of it in action.
http://www.twit...om/kelly_hansen