Facebook Chain Letters

I was a big fan of all the applications and widgets that started appearing on Facebook this year. They seemed like the height of Web 2.0 to me: allow users to mix and match the data and applications they want to use to personalize their space. But I’m noticing a disturbing development lately: what I call Facebook Chain Letters. These are the kind of applications that require you to send invitations to other people to join. Kind of like those email letters that say, “if you don’t forward this email to 10 friends, you’ll have bad luck.” Ef that! I am particular annoyed by Facebook applications in which the default is to send invitations to everyone in your contact list. Then you have to uncheck anyone you don’t want to send the invitation to. I would prefer the kind of application where people see it on my profile and say, “that’s cool. Think I’ll install it too.” The opt-in model. Web 2.0 is largely about the network effect of getting large numbers of people to participate and collaborate…but not by sending them spam and junk mail! I am not going to install any more Facebook applications that require me to spam other users. Forget it! If you don’t forward this message to at least 10 people you will have bad luck! 😉