Facebook developers got an early glimpse of how the new Facebook dashboard will function when it was posted to the developer wiki last week. Facebook published a copy of the current iteration of the games dashboard which includes stories from recent games you’ve played and a feed of the games that your friends are playing. Developers can start testing out a number of new dashboard API methods, however developers do not have access to view the beta dashboard.
Facebook also provided further clarification on how the new application counters will function. For those that have an iPhone, you’ll notice that it functions similarly to how application notifications currently function. The counter will simply show up on the new left-hand sidebar that will appear on the new homepage. What still isn’t clear is whether it will only be bookmarked applications that are displayed in this counters area.
Over a month ago, Facebook signaled that they were still working on a solution for letting non-bookmarked applications contact users. At the time, Kelly Winters updated the Roadmap Counter page to state that “we are still designing exactly how Counters will be displayed beside non-bookmarked apps”. Over a month later there doesn’t appear to be much clarification although I’d assume that there will be more updates from Facebook over the next couple weeks.
For those curious about the Dashboard news stories, they will essentially serve as replacements of the previous one-line feed stories which are being deprecated from user profiles combined with notifications. Each news story can include a 64 x 64 pixel image and 50 characters of text. There is also an action link as with traditional stream stories. For more information you can check out the Dashboard API page.
We’ll have to wait and see whether or not the dashboard ends up being an effective substitution for notifications. Do you think the dashboard will help applications or were notifications a more effective system?
Nick,
great article as usual! Thanks for the updates.
To answer your question: Do you think the dashboard will help applications or were notifications a more effective system?
- Yes, we as a Facebook developer believe this will be better for the user, as this eventually leads to very strict limitation zone on how much and how often an application can communicate to the user. The entire eco-system is thus better, and it will not happen that one application will send 40 notifications to "get you in again", but ultimately it still does leave space for constant communication with users.
We find this very user centric and good for further development and fairness of the platform.
Regards,
Jan
http://www.facebakers.com team
#1 source for Facebook stats
Comment by Jan Facebaker — December 11, 2009 @ 2:13 pm
I have noticed that some applications have started spamming my wall with what used to go in notifications.
Comment by David — December 11, 2009 @ 2:17 pm
I like that screenshot. It looks like game updates, for example, are going to be more subtle for those who don't care them, and more organized for those who do.
Comment by Facebook User — December 11, 2009 @ 3:30 pm
"Your facebook credit balance"
Looks like facebook is going mainstream with the credit stuff.
Comment by Sarabjit 'sarb& — December 11, 2009 @ 3:50 pm
yeah.dk
Comment by Frederik Tuemand — December 11, 2009 @ 4:02 pm
i hope this won't be used across the site. facebook is growing, but im sick of these updates. its good as is. email accounts dont switch like this, and i use facebook mostly for talking to friends.
how would one hide their game updates in the facebook of the future.
"There is a webiste of no privacy that drives u out of ur mind; full of 'new,' but no ideas. You've just cross-platforemd into… The Facebook Page."
Comment by j — December 12, 2009 @ 11:03 pm
It does seem more user-centric although updates from applications (depending on what they are) can become very annoying.
Comment by Sarah @ SEO Liverpoo — December 14, 2009 @ 12:35 am
Nick,
I'd say that the "News" section is more of a replacement for user-to-user notifications AND app-to-user notifications than it is for one-line newsfeeds.
One line newsfeeds were for non-app user discovery. That channel is still gone with no plans for replacement.
Comment by Mike Sherov — December 14, 2009 @ 5:40 am
Ultimately I see this as a continuation of the removal of applications from Facebook proper (from their initial crazy start in May 2007)
What is good on the 1 hand is they look to be countering this segmentation by giving apps a place to play. This should eventually lead to more robust use of apps by hard core users but unfortunately it might lead to less usage from the common folk.
My guess is Apps will become less and less a part of Facebook proper but will have better and better access to the database and more functionality in a new app space. Hopefully this leads to people saying "there is an app for that" – for social apps.
Comment by Paul Malin — December 14, 2009 @ 8:08 am
i hope i can get in on the beta testing for this….
Comment by Dustin Burleson — December 15, 2009 @ 4:48 am
If this "recent friend activity" thing on the dashboard can not be opted out of for privacy's sake, I will cease to use any and all FB apps and games, as will the large majority of my friends.
Comment by Facebook User — February 8, 2010 @ 11:58 am