Mashable has lame Facebook wish list
Facebook Wish List: Five Apps I’d Actually Like to See
Sorry, but I think there is a serious disconnect between what Mark “Rizzn” Hopkins wants and what most Facebook users would want.
A podcast client? How many people know what a podcast is?
A Top 40 list? We know now that most adds are from the Profile box. So again, most users won’t care what’s in the app directory.
A PR Connection Tool? Right, because everyone needs to initiate a little PR.
IRC and FTP clients? How many people still use those? Way back when, Facebook launched a P2P media sharing client named Wirehog, which was a total disaster. I’m not convinced an FTP client would do better.
I admit I actually have no understand of his 5th wish list idea, so I won’t comment. I think he’s trying to describe Ning.
My top 5 wish list
1. A personalized version of Google News, taken from the shared items posted from your Friends.
2. Tagging of friends. This is something suspected is in the works. I want to be able to send messages or invites only to certain friends.
3. OpenID for all facebook users. Every facebook user should be able to easily link their Facebook account with their Amazon or eBay or Paypal or Skype accounts. E-Commerce has a large role to play in Facebook, and lining up who you are in facebook to who are you in Skype is crucial.
4. Stronger integration with local Neighborhoods. So yes, there are a few Neighborhood apps, but Facebook would be well served by growing the connectedness of a geographic community. Want to throw a party for the neighborhood? Find playmates for your kids? Tell your neighbors to look for your lost cat? The internet can help counteract what Robert Putnam describes in Bowling Alone.
5. A real email client. Sure, there is Facebook messaging, but what Facebook really should do is build Gmail right into Facebook. They could easily tack on features found in Xobni and Twine, and you’d get a heck of an email application.
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Tags: facebook
Mark "Rizzn" Hopkins said,
October 27, 2007 @ 3:19 pm
Appreciate your honest analysis, there, kiddo.
I can’t believe you haven’t heard of a podcast client. You must be real sheltered. I haven’t had to explain the concept of podcasting to an outsider for at least a year or so – almost everyone gets it. That’s particularly interesting, since my day job is setting up podcasts for folks who don’t know how. Question is, why don’t you?
So, you’re telling me your application profile tells you what the new hot applications are ranked in the top 40 in terms of active users for a week by week basis? You have to tell me where that check mark is in Facebook’s settings.
You don’t see the value in meeting new people? That’s essentially the description I gave to the fantasy PR app.
You don’t ever transfer files to a server? What are you, 14?
—
And in response for your request for apps…
1) See FriendFeed.
2) See the Facebook wall application, and the notes application, and the photo application.
3) Skype has a Facebook application.
4) Use any of a number of zipcode based search functions.
5) See the GMail client.
dlifson said,
October 27, 2007 @ 8:48 pm
Thanks for taking the time to read my post, Mark. Your sense of professionalism is overwhelming. I hope everyone in the journalism community has the opportunity to read your comment.
My point about your post is that it lacked a focus on the customer. What’s missing from Facebook that a majority of customers would benefit from? Your wishlist, as the title of your article clearly states, is of apps you would like to see. My list is a list of apps that I think MOST Facebook users would like.
Thanks for the vitriol, kiddo.