10 Comments »Seriously, I have spent countless hours over the past few days trying to find cool applications as one email after the other comes into my inbox asking for an application review. I have also spent time browsing through the application directory. Just yesterday I checked out two applications in particular expecting to write a story about them but once I installed the applications I was thoroughly disappointed.
The first offender was the OnTrack application. This application press releases states the application is “a highly effective goal and project management Facebook application, is publicly launching today in an attempt to make the social operating system as useful as the computer operating system.” Wow! This sounds like it may just be that golden application that I have long spoken of. Unfortunately, it is not. You add the application and try to create a project and are immediately prompted with “You have no more credits and don’t have at least 20 friends to invite, so you can buy a credit for $0.99.”
What?!?!? The most useful application on Facebook is trying to force me to invite users before using the application. While I understand why the application developers thought that this would be useful for getting more users, it is definitely not something that I suggest high quality applications use when launching their app. This one had the potential to be good but it ended up flopping 
For those of you interested in more discussion about forced invites there has been a pretty active discussion on the Facebook developer forum over the past few days. The second offender that ended up being the catalyst for this post was the blogonize application. At first glance, this application appears to be the first effective blogging application that I have seen so far.
Given the popularity of MySpace blogs, I figured this could have a significant impact on Facebook profiles. In theory, blogs could be publicly accessible. I installed the application and the first thing I was prompted with was to enter my Blogonize login. What?!?!? I seriously had high hopes for this application and yet again I am disappointed. Honestly, the Bloggonize people have a pretty slick looking website and they may have a really nice platform but unfortunately this is one restriction that I won’t get past.
Word to the wise: don’t place restrictions on applications that prevent people from using it. I wish there were people that could argue against this that will post on my blog but I have a feeling those that this model is working for will choose to remain silent.
Hey Nick,
This is actually a bug, seriously. My developers are working on figuring out the issue now. The Invite Friends page states
“You’ve been given one credit for free. You need one credit to add a goal or project. Invite 20 friends earn another credit now to use later.”
The philosophy behind the design is that let's say you're at a mall. You see a store you like, you want to browse it first, then you find something you like, buy it, THEN you tell your friends. That's why the app is SUPPOSED to give one credit for free. So when this bug is fixed, I'll post here again to invite you and your readers to come back and try it again (without having to invite friends).
To ensure that users have enough credits to fully try the system, I've asked my developers to give ALL existing and new users TWO free credits, so they can try both the goal and project systems. As always, the vision board has no restrictions.
Thanks for understanding,
Nick
Hey Nick,
This is actually a bug, seriously. My developers are working on figuring out the issue now. The Invite Friends page states
“You’ve been given one credit for free. You need one credit to add a goal or project. Invite 20 friends earn another credit now to use later.”
The philosophy behind the design is that let’s say you’re at a mall. You see a store you like, you want to browse it first, then you find something you like, buy it, THEN you tell your friends. That’s why the app is SUPPOSED to give one credit for free. So when this bug is fixed, I’ll post here again to invite you and your readers to come back and try it again (without having to invite friends).
To ensure that users have enough credits to fully try the system, I’ve asked my developers to give ALL existing and new users TWO free credits, so they can try both the goal and project systems. As always, the vision board has no restrictions.
Thanks for understanding,
Nick
Hey Nick, this is Austin the owner of Blogonize and I understand why you dislike the login limitation.
How do you suggest I fix this that's a compromise for Facebook users and myself. Of course, I'd like to receive more users from the app itself but like I said, I understand where you're coming from.
What do you think if I had it where any facebook user could add the app and get posting right away (or have the option to use their already made blogonize account). However for that post to actually show up on blogonize.com, they would have to link their account.
Thanks,
Austin
Hey Nick, this is Austin the owner of Blogonize and I understand why you dislike the login limitation.
How do you suggest I fix this that’s a compromise for Facebook users and myself. Of course, I’d like to receive more users from the app itself but like I said, I understand where you’re coming from.
What do you think if I had it where any facebook user could add the app and get posting right away (or have the option to use their already made blogonize account). However for that post to actually show up on blogonize.com, they would have to link their account.
Thanks,
Austin
Hi Austin,
I think the easiest solution is to populate your database without email addresses so you have an associated user id. If they'd like more features to the application they can register. Otherwise provide a free version for the users. Shoot me an email if you'd like to chat further … allfacebook [at] gmail [dot] com.
Best,
Nick
Hi Austin,
I think the easiest solution is to populate your database without email addresses so you have an associated user id. If they’d like more features to the application they can register. Otherwise provide a free version for the users. Shoot me an email if you’d like to chat further … allfacebook [at] gmail [dot] com.
Best,
Nick
Hi Nick,
The bug is fixed. Thank you for alerting me that new users were not receiving the stated free credit. The credit system is about two weeks old, and while it was extensively tested by many people, no one noticed this single piece of the complex system. Now more users will get to discover the gems in the app thanks to you.
As promised, all users will now have at least two credits to get to fully try the goal and project management systems before being asked to invite friends. If you like the app, it's much more interesting with friends as you can see their goals and support them or work on student projects together. So if users like the app enough to want to use it a third time, they invite 20 friends and instantly receive a credit.
Now that there are free credits at the start of the app trial process, come try it out and discover for yourself why users love how the app is helping them to more efficiently and effectively achieve their goals and complete their projects.
http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id...
Thanks,
Nick
Hi Nick,
The bug is fixed. Thank you for alerting me that new users were not receiving the stated free credit. The credit system is about two weeks old, and while it was extensively tested by many people, no one noticed this single piece of the complex system. Now more users will get to discover the gems in the app thanks to you.
As promised, all users will now have at least two credits to get to fully try the goal and project management systems before being asked to invite friends. If you like the app, it’s much more interesting with friends as you can see their goals and support them or work on student projects together. So if users like the app enough to want to use it a third time, they invite 20 friends and instantly receive a credit.
Now that there are free credits at the start of the app trial process, come try it out and discover for yourself why users love how the app is helping them to more efficiently and effectively achieve their goals and complete their projects.
http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=4139080274
Thanks,
Nick
I think facebook should handle the whole invitation process start to finish, it could be a section in the about page or there could be a link to a page outside the canvas page just like the apps about page. While revealing number of invitations sent out and such.
I think facebook should handle the whole invitation process start to finish, it could be a section in the about page or there could be a link to a page outside the canvas page just like the apps about page. While revealing number of invitations sent out and such.