Facebook to Push “Useful” Applications with “Apps You May Like”

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Facebook to Push “Useful” Applications with “Apps You May Like”

Jun 11 at 3:03pm by

For those of you (or just me) who have complained about the app overload that has made Facebook feel like a virtual Barnum & Bailey circus show, I am sad to announce that they have claimed the land, planted their flags, and are here to stay.

Facebook is no where near getting rid of any applications. Quite the contrary. According to Inside Facebook, the social networking site is focused on launching the latest “upgrade” to the Application Directory today. Instead of recommending apps that are popular Facebook is now going to … drum roll, please… recommend “Apps You May Like.”

Justin Smith from Inside Facebook writes:

Based on earlier things I’ve heard, this list is likely generated by looking at which apps your friends are engaging with in combination with which apps are more broadly popular with people like you. While this may decrease the importance of the App Directory as a source of new users for some apps, it should make discovery better for most users.

This points towards broader changes Facebook is making to its application directory to try and make more useful and engaging apps rise to the top, as Ben Ling hinted at in his interview with Adam at Graphing Social Patterns yesterday.

Personally, you know what I “May Like?” A life without this: