MappingTheWeb //

Are you sick of scrolling down seemingly endless Facebook profile pages? Are you sick of the clutter created by the app onslaught? I sure am. And I think it has to stop. The creation of the developer’s platform was a great idea, but the lack of regulation and management is what irks me.

Users continue to add countless apps (most of which they will probably never use). I, for one, will add the odd app, but only if I see value and plan on using it. If I’m just looking to try one out, I’ll add it, try it, then delete it immediately. I doubt this is process followed by most.

For this very reason, I am proposing a Facebook app management system. What does this mean? Well, it means useless clutter will be eliminated, page load time will decrease, and overall experience will improve.

Under the proposed system, apps that remain unused for 2+ months (or whatever default period of time) will automatically disappear from a given profile page. For obvious reasons, they can be re-added at a later point. A simple control panel would allow users to set their own inactivity period (2 months would be the default, for example). Having said that, users could still choose the “Never Delete” setting. This is essentially what Facebook is using right now.

I understand that some users enjoy the “Superpoke” function and other miscellaneous apps, while others try these apps, then never use them again. Subsequently, these space-eaters serve no purpose and provide no value to the profile owner or visitors. Displaying only the apps used frequently will improve the experience without creating any added hassle (automatic removal of idle apps) for the profile owner.