Facebook opened the floodgates to its "new class of apps" Wednesday,
unveiling its partnership with more than 60 applications that let users
share more about their daily lives.
In September at the F8 developer conference, CEO Mark Zuckerberg
announced Timeline, Facebook's new profile design, and the forthcoming
apps that "let you express who you are through all the things you do,"
according to Facebook.
For example, rather than "liking" something as you traditionally
would on Facebook, you can now show what you're doing, such as running,
eating and watching, right on your timeline. These new actions are
determined by the individual app.
Among the 60 new applications released yesterday are food apps Foodily, which helps you discover recipes and Snooth, a wine recommendation app; fitness app MapMyFitness, in which you log and share your fitness goals and accomplishments; and an app for Pinterest, an up-and-coming social network that creates pin boards for fashion, decorating and more.
Other categories include music, entertainment and news. You can view the full list of apps and drill down by category
While Facebook hopes these new apps will keep you on its site longer, you can expect another change, too: a lot more noise in your Ticker and News Feed, and an influx of over-sharing.
While Facebook hopes these new apps will keep you on its site longer, you can expect another change, too: a lot more noise in your Ticker and News Feed, and an influx of over-sharing.
Knowing your application settings is key to keep you from becoming
that person in your circle of Facebook friends. Here's a look at the
settings that are available for these new apps and how to adjust them.
Facebook Apps: Choose Your Settings Before You Download
For some, the process of quickly clicking through the Facebook app
install prompts is automatic: If you're not paying attention, you'll
miss the opportunity to set your privacy settings before you start using
the app.
Below the app summary information when you first choose to download
an app is an option: "Who can see activity from this app on Facebook."
Depending on how you've set your default privacy settings--either
public, friends or a custom setting--that will be the automatic setting
for all your applications, unless you change it.
If you're interested in using an application but don't want your
activity broadcast to your friends' News Feeds and Tickers, choose the
"Only Me" option. While your activity will appear on your Timeline, no
one else will be able to see it.