Facebook is the new AOL

Facebook is the new AOL

ValleyWag today runs an interesting insider piece from a startup developing Facebook applications. Until recently FB members could invite all their friends to an app. creating massive viral adoption. Hence why some apps like Top Friends by Slide ended up with millions of users. Now Facebook is limiting app invitations to just 10 per day. That mean anyone creating a new app and trying to go viral has a mountain to climb. This is basically Facebook shooting themselves in the foot. Previously there seemed to be a great ecosystem developing where startups would be able to hook into revenue share deals based on the adoption of their app. Now, the ‘head’ of the apps ‘long tail’ will win because FB has artificially rigged the system in favour of those apps that came out before the “invite all” gate closed. Given that there are even a few UK developers who were banking on the Facebook app platform to create some success, this news makes for some depressing reading. Why is Facebook the new AOL? It’s just another a walled garden baby…