It’s Not “I Have a Dream”, but it’s Something
Today Cynopsis Digital released an updated list of the top Facebook applications:
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Top Facebook Widgets as of March 30, 2008
Rank Application Developer Installs Active % Active New
1 Super Wall RockYou! 26,799,900 1,875,993 7% -2,739,329
2 FunWall Slide, Inc. 28,919,417 1,735,165 6% 1,567,460
3 Top Friends Slide, Inc. 27,795,133 1,667,708 6% 2,162,276
4 Bumper Sticker 9,771,025 781,682 8% -422,975
5 Friends For Sale! 6,073,130 607,313 10% 348
6 Scrabulous 3,201,044 576,188 18% -33,226
7 Texas HoldEm Poker 8,011,386 560,797 7% 566,523
8 Owned! 3,134,087 470,113 15% 103,611
9 iLike iLike, inc 13,457,700 403,731 3% -400,633
10 R U Interested? SNAP Interactive 9,779,650 391,186 4% 1,369,430
Source: Developer Analytics
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I found it especially interesting to note that instead of calling them “apps” they were described as “widgets”. This is a telling moniker because at least in my head, there exists a large disconnect between the level of functionality you’d expect out of something called an application vs. something called a widget. When I think of the word application, I think of something that requires active involvement. Microsoft Word is an application. When I think of a widget, I think of passive involvement. A desktop fish tank for example. If you look at the list you can see that for the most part, the top ones actually are widgets and they are popular because they work well within the context of Facebook – passive involvement. Since its launch, people have been going on Facebook to fly through photos of their friend’s ski trip or to look up that hot girl they met at a mutual friend’s party the night before.
The current context of Facebook is that it’s a place for a quick fix. A place where you go for a dose of immediate, often mindless time wasting while you sit at your office computer. That’s why the top apps are for the most part all widgets. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to bash Superwall or Top Friends, or any of the other top apps because they are clearly entertaining and viral and if they provided no value to the user, then they wouldn’t be nearly as popular as they are. And for the most part, I love them too! I’m just saying that Facebook and its users have yet to reach the point where they are using Facebook to improve their real lives. Improving one’s real life often requires stepping out from behind the computer and entering the real world. And none of the top apps are encouraging of that.
But that’s ok because apps are young and, like I said, this is the current context of Facebook. There’s a pretty big gap in functionality and expectation between asking a user to “SuperBoink” (if this was a real world action it would probably require consent) somebody else and asking them to plan an offline date with their friends, I get that. But the gap exists because the first, most popular Facebook apps on the scene created a norm. And the norm is a widget that can tell other people “Where I’ve Been” but not actually help them to go some place new.
When Facebook opened up their platform last year and invited outside developers to create apps, many people saw it as Facebook’s mission to become the next popular operating system. Rather than just being a new Friendster or Myspace, Facebook opened their platform in an attempt to be the next Windows. This is a bold ambition with unlimited potential and many may argue that they are well on their way toward achieving this goal. But I will contend that until Facebook and its apps start encouraging people to use the site to improve their REAL lives, they still have a ways to go.
But for now, I need to run, it’s my turn in Scrabulous.
Talkin’ About Ignighter
Today is a slow news day so we figured we’d fill our readers in on a little of the press/blog coverage we’ve gotten recently. Now keep in mind, for the most part this stuff is about a month old. We wanted to post it then, but we were just so consumed with booking guests for A/S/L Check.
Here are some links:
Newark Star-Ledger Article
This article ran on the cover of the NJ section in Jersey’s Biggest Paper, The Star-Ledger. Sopranos fans may recall that this was Tony’s go-to source for reading Mafia news, browsing obits, and catching up on innovative dating sites. Tony, Syl, Paulie, and Bobby would’ve made a pretty solid Ignighter group.
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This blog basically gives the Cliffs Notes of the Star-Ledger article.
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This is a pretty cool site aimed at informing entrepreneurs, investors, and bloggers about the newest, coolest startup ideas out there. Each day they have a vote asking their readers which startup (out of 10 each day) will be the most successful. We got 66 votes and the second place finisher our day got 18. We were expecting to win something cool like a DVD player or a Series A VC funding, but no, apparently the winner doesn’t get anything. Apparently it’s not even a competition at all. Oh well, I think we’ll still call us “the winner” anyway.
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We had a chance to meet this charming blogger. What a guy!
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PopGadget
This is a Tech/Innovation blog aimed at women.
Interview with a Danpire
Hello Readers, sorry for the delay in posts. But today we’re totally making it up to you as we present our first in a series of interviews called:
A/S/L Check – An Ignighter Interview Series - Hard Questions, Soft Bodies.
We start off the series with an interview exclusive that Ignighter fought really hard to get; co-founder Dan Osit, 25. Dan is a NJ native with a penchant for cable news shows, talk radio, WSJ Op-Ed columns and anything else that helps him adopt other people’s quasi-informed opinions.
Ignighter: Dan, we’re really honored to have you here today. Thanks for coming.
Dan: Adam, we’re in my apartment. I just buzzed you in 10 minutes ago.
Ignighter: Right. Moving on.
Dan: k.
Ignighter: I think it makes the most sense for us to start at the beginning. Tell us about the night of your conception.
Dan: Well I don’t remember much because I was really young. But I will say that I haven’t been back to Cabo since.
Ignighter: Ok let’s skip ahead a little. Let’s talk about the College Years. Didn’t you think it was odd that Screech accompanied all the kids to Cal U only to become their RA?
Dan: Huh, Screech?
Ignighter: Alright, apparently somebody bailed on Saved By the Bell before it got good. But that’s ok. Tell us about your college years.
Dan: Well I attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. My Freshman year I joined a fraternity called Zeta Beta Tau…We affectionately called it ZBT. Hehehe.
Ignighter: Ohhh a frat boy! I bet there’s a lot of dirt to dig up there!
Dan (confused): Adam you were in the frat too.
Ignighter: Hmm seems like I hit a nerve. Maybe we should press on.
Dan: OK.
Ignighter: What was your major at Northwestern?
Dan: Communication Studies.
Ignighter: And do you think that has made you a better communicator in the business world?
Dan: Yes.
Ignighter: Can you give any examples?
Dan: Lots.
<<awkward silence>>
Ignighter: I wanted to bring up a pretty well documented event that happened early in your Sophomore year at Northwestern.
Dan: Oh yeah?
Ignighter: Yeah. Legend has it, that during the first lecture of Theories of Modern Mathematics, you struck up an enlightening conversation with a doe-eyed, breathtaking, young ingenue who for all intents and purposes has left an indelible mark in the forming of the fine young man you are today. Can you tell us about this chance encounter?
Dan: Well I’m pretty sure we’re talking about you again. And isn’t an ingenue a woman?
Ignighter: Is it? Again, we press on. I understand that after graduating you formed a company called Glenpoint Capital Partners. How many partners did you have?
Dan: I had 6 partners.
Ignighter: Sounds like a typical weekend for me. Zing!
Dan: I’m quite certain you don’t utilize the same level of “risk management” techniques with your partnerships though.
Ignighter (crest-fallen): zing.
Dan: Yes and then I left Glenpoint in late 2007 to c0-found Ignighter, a group-to group to dating and social networking service.
Ignighter: Hmmm sounds like a great idea. Well before we go, I want to close by asking you the same questions that we ask all our guests before they leave… your apartment.
Dan: Nice, shoot.
Ignighter: What is your favorite word?
Dan: Dogan.
Ignighter: What is your least favorite word?
Dan: Juice.
Ignighter: Boxers or Commando?
Dan: Boxers.
Ignighter: Favorite smell?
Dan: Cheese.
Ignighter: What historical figure would you most like to go on a date with?
Dan: Golda Meir.
Ignighter: Dan we want to thank you so much for coming here today and honoring us with this interview exclusive! It’s been great.
Dan: I live here, idiot.
Ignighter: Be sure to check back next week when we welcome another very special guest on:
A/S/L Check – An Ignighter Interview Series - Hard Questions, Soft Bodies.
