Last summer Facebook announced two new programs designed to help surface some of the best applications on Facebook Platform. The first, called Verified Apps, was to help users find applications they could trust — in other words, apps that always stayed true to Facebook’s guidelines, and wouldn’t spam users. Verified Apps finally launched in May after lengthy delays, with around 120 apps in the inaugural class. But the program was only meant to serve as the first stepping stone on the path towards Platform greatness, serving as something of a minor league before the very best apps made it to the Majors.
The second step was a program dubbed “Great Apps”, which was meant to reward the very best applications on Facebook Platform, enticing developers with promises of “greater visibility on Facebook, earlier access to new features, and more feedback from Facebook”. It was going to highlight the true cream of the crop, launching with iLike and Causes as inaugural members with plans to add a dozen or so more applications within the next year. Now, we’ve learned, that isn’t going to happen, as Facebook has killed off the program. Or, rather, it’s combined Great Apps with Verified Apps — the two are now one and the same. The few applications that were members have been notified of their demotion to plain Verified Apps, and nearly all literature relating to the program has been removed from Facebook.
So what happened? Facebook decided to simply give the benefits it was going to reserve for Great Apps and give them to the Verified Apps instead. Verified Apps are currently being more prominently displayed than their unverified brethren, and Facebook has recently been testing out some new features, like its payment platform, with a handful of them.
Here’s Facebook’s full explanation:
We decided to merge Great Apps with the App Verification program, as they achieve similar goals of helping users identify trusted applications and rewarding the developers who create them. Given the high quality of the applications that have come through the Verification Program and the positive response by users, we believe focusing on one program will provide the best outcome for both users and developers.
This all makes sense, but it’s hard to argue that being grouped into a field of hundreds of good apps is comparable to ranking among a dozen or so truly excellent applications. With 15 or so Great Apps, every top app could have been shown on a single screen, perhaps as the first thing users saw when they clicked over to the “Browse Applications” section. Facebook gives Verified Apps better positioning in the App Directory, but this promotion is diluted to some extent by the many other applications that are given the same treatment.
That said, we’ve heard that Verified Applications have been reaping the benefits of better placement and less restrictive invitation limits and seeing boosts in traffic. Still, I’m sure many of the truly great apps would have appreciated the chance to really stand above the rest.
Did we really want some committee at Facebook deciding which were the “great apps?” That smacks too much of what the wireless operators tried to do sitting around a conference table in Bedminster, NJ deciding which apps would go on our cell phone.
Better they just tell us which ones are spammers and which are safe, sort of like the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.
I agree, just tag the non spammer apps for me. I’ll decide weather they’re great or not.
App profile widgets are boxed out with new facebook. All boxes are moved to boxes tab, and new users dont even know about it. This were a huge blow to apps.
Let us wait for fb to implement twitterification, then they will do something for apps.
That’s too bad because many of the verified apps still suck.
The verfied app program only matters if they can prove more people find you via the app directory and not google or the profiles… show me that and maybe then it matters.
yes i think so.
I think they were just trying to follow n the steps of postage (registered mail and certified mail).
All great apps are verified, but verified apps aren’t necessarily great.
They dropped it because it was stupid and nobody gave a shit.
Facebook apps are dead.
The app platform is pathetic. You basically cannot find an app if it isn’t verified.
As an end user how much difference it makes. For me not much. I use an app only when there is some noise and then I check if I actually want to use the app.
All I really need to know is …who are the spammers. So I agree with Christopher and Kev, if the app is truly engaging it will take off without having to pay a fee for directory placement. Sounds to me like the revenue stream dried up and FB decided to cut its losses.
It’s “You shall not pass!”, not “You cannot pass!”.
Actually, he says both in the movie. And in the book, I believe he only says “You cannot pass”.
http://www.yout...h?v=44kBN340vd4
Pwned n00b.
I warned them about trying this!
I agree with nustik- Facebook apps are dead. They’re as dead as myspace. Hell, they’re as dead as technorati.
That is because most people have no clue how to use them… not that I am some genius.. you all need to wake up and smell the red bull.. to succeed as a company online you need to think a little trekie.. a space station which is a website.. and apps are like the ends of wormsholz.. a cobweb like design that brings your magic to where users are.. the reason why so many people suck at this stuff is because they still try to do things in a business way.. a pre facebook, twitter way.. people are social by nature.. and you have to be able to relate to people… understand them.. make them laugh.. be interesting…
You need some urgent medical attention, man. Sorry to say that.
Roger that.
Agree with Gebadia. Room exists for apps that truly understand how the social web works and utilizes fb’s personal data in smart ways.
surprising, wonder what made them kill the original approach.
Yah, I’m an app developer for several different social networks, including Facebook.
Once you get past the first 200k users or so, being on the first page of the app directory and/or being a “top pick” hardly puts a dent in your install base.
It only really makes a difference if you have very few users – in which case you’d never have become a top pick or been on the first page to begin with.
Quite simply, being on any top ten list or whatever is simply not “viral”. Seeing your friends actually USE the app is what makes an app grow.
Verified apps never really made a difference I guess. I can decide whats good for me.
I dont mind being told whats Spam and whats not.
Surely some sort of rating system that displays the most installed apps per category and overall could suffice.
I do believe there should be *trusted* apps for quality control purposes. Perhaps the developer’s themselves could submit the apps to FB upon release for vetting.
Facebooks apps are not what they used to be though.
i agree with it.
Twitter apps and monetization of Twitter apps are the thing at the moment!
Disappointing.