Last week, Facebook began deprecating the application notifications API. With the new fb:request-form FBML tag it is much easier to create a nice looking invite form. In addition to adding this new tag, Facebook has upped the maximum number of application invites to 20 from 10. In the long run, it looks like this number will fluctuate based on how “spammy” your application is. Just a few days ago I saw a meter next to one of my applications ranking how “spammy” the app was. It has since been removed but I have a feeling that it will return once Facebook has tweaked their algorithm.

There have been many complaints of developers creating applications for the sole purpose of increasing their user base without providing any added value features. Dave Morin announced at the end of last month Facebook’s shift to focusing on user-engagement. Ultimately, rather than creating strictly viral applications developers will need to create useful applications. The great thing is though, Facebook will slowly allow useful and engaging applications to invite more users on a daily basis. This is a great move by Facebook!