Tonight MySpace is preparing to launch a new addition to its application platform that allows developers to distribute notifications from their apps to their users. It may not sound particularly exciting at first, but the feature is one that developers have been clamoring for, as the notifications are essential to drive asyncronous applications (like a long-term chess games), and can be used to keep users engaged with a variety of other apps. The program is only in Beta for now (developers can only send notifications to other developers or themselves) with plans to release it more widely in the near future.
Given how basic the feature is, it’s surprising that we haven’t seen it sooner. So what took so long? MySpace says that it’s doing its best to prevent abuse from spammy applications – a problem that Facebook suffered from for a few months when it first got started (it has since employed a variety of measures to curb spam, but it isn’t perfect). Notices will be shown in their own channel on MySpace, similar to the way invites are in the site’s message center, so even if some spam does get through it shouldn’t be too annoying.
For more details, check out the MySpace blog post here.
I think Facebook had the winning formula from the beginning.
Actually at the start Facebook platform was pretty bad (not too surprising given how innovative it was). I remember getting quite a bit of spam.
Sooner myspace and orkut sink, better for people around the world. Amazing to see orkut inbox, always filled with spam, intentionally unaddressed. Give users more channels, let individuals choose what they want.
Orkut will definitely sink. There’s a lot of spam happening there. Now, with MySpace opening to spam, we can see it also going down…I loved FB’s formula that way. It was spam-proof than all these sites.
Okiniwa -agree with you! Funny, I used to be more into MySpace before, and said “what the hell is the big deal about Facebook,” til I started using it more in-depth
. (Kind of reminds me of how years ago when I was looking at getting my first computer, thought about getting a Mac, then got a PC – Mac fans, please don’t stone me, cos I know you’re out there, respect your spirit – ^_^.
It really is about time that Myspace went ahead and implemented this. I do understand that they wanted to try and keep spam down, but this has been something many people have been asking for, for quite awhile.
Yes, it’s a welcome innovation from the true leaders of the industry.
yeah…the apps (companies) which stopped innovating and went into maintenance ultimately have fallen apart….example: orkut has flattened out, myspace seems late, yahoo is shattered all because they did not continue innovating…
I guess the same happened with Microsoft and they got caught in red tape of the previouos generation. Whereas google & apple continue to soar ….probaly innovation seems the only way up the survival ladder now
marvin
http://yousuggest.us
True Martin. Its not just innovation (like the Syfy way), but innovation that works. The Apple and the Google way.
The time to market is what really matters. MySpace is slow to bring about the much needed changes and i think this is one main reason it is suffering a decrease in activity.
(Lack of) Application Notifications are exactly the reason Twitter is so much better than Facebook.
Twitter: Just ate at Weird Fish in the Mission… so good! Perfectly spiced “Hell Taco” and Buffalo Fish for $12!
Facebook: [highschool friend you forgot] has thrown a fish at you! Click here to spam your friends now!
Great analysis BK. That is why Twitter still goes on while sites like MySpace and FB lag behind…
They need to come out with MySpace connect. How about that! LOL
Haay Shawn, thats a good one!
Finally, MySpace is waking up to S-P-A-M.
Extremely exciting news as I have been waiting for this a long time ago. Thanks much
It really is about time that My space went ahead and implemented this. I do understand that they wanted to try and keep spam down, but this has been something many people have been asking for, for quite a while.
What’s with the comment plagiarism?
Facebook played with it very well, i guess MySpace is late in this race….