Facebook to Begin Removing Third-Party User Profile Tabs on November 3rd
A couple years ago, Facebook envisioned profile tabs as a way for developers to reach users on their profile pages. The feature replaced the MySpace widget-like Boxes on user profiles that many developers grew through when the platform launched in 2007.
But, more recent site designs have focused user and developer attention on the news feed, requests and invites as ways of promoting enagement. So, as with Boxes, user profile tabs are becoming obsolete.
Facebook will stop letting users add tabs for third-party applications this coming Wednesday, October 13th. It will begin removing them all on November 3rd, following the roadmap plan for the feature that it introduced in August. Only tabs for the company’s only applications will remain on profile pages.
When announcing the plan to remove third-party user profile tabs in August, the company explained that these tabs had “low usage rates.” Some developers have been managing to get value out of these tabs but most have moved on long ago.
This, of course, does not apply to Pages. Facebook instead encourages third parties to build applications and content to appear within tabs on that feature in order to bolster the value that public figures, brands and other organizations get out of it.
Facebook provided these dates in a developer blog post today, that also included some other news. The read-or-revoke requests API, announced recently, is now available. Companies that use social plugins can now provide the “ref” attribute, allowing them to independently measure user engagement using third-party analytics tools (this option became available for the Like button a few months ago). And finally, Facebook says that it has listened to developer feedback and is allowing them to again provide terms of service URLs in their applications; it will link the URL within the app permissions dialog box.
October 9th, 2010 at 8:10 am
This totally stinks. I love my 3rd party tabs. I use Flickr and Youtube and SlideShare on my profile page. And I like them WAY better than Facebook’s tabs. I should be able to choose. This is WRONG.
October 9th, 2010 at 2:06 pm
[...] det faktum att Facebook kommer att ta bort ”tredjepartsflikar” från våra profilsidor. Här förklarar Inside Facebook varför företaget väljer att göra så här. Det faktum att man samtidigt uppmanar företag och [...]
October 10th, 2010 at 12:30 pm
good luck march! facebook does not give a crap about what users like!
when they moved the profile boxes their justification was that the tabs are a better way to interact with users – only couple of days after they removed the profile boxes, they announced they are getting rid of tabs!
as a developer. i find facebook very hostile and unfriendly to its own developers, i can’t wait for another platform so i can start developing for!
a facebook developer
October 12th, 2010 at 2:20 am
[...] des onglets tiers sur Facebook A partir du 13 octobre, Facebook va interdire aux utilisateurs d’ajouter des applications tierces sur leur profil. [...]
October 12th, 2010 at 5:25 am
Does this mean they will no longer allow their own Static FBML App? Let the users decide if they want 3rd party apps!
October 13th, 2010 at 11:55 pm
They just crapped on a ton of programmers who were doing the migration from application boxes to tabs. Facebook doesn’t provide the basic functionality that covers many of our needs, and they are, once again, stifling originality.
This article is amusing in its assumptions, but the truth is many of us are left out be the limited information FB allows on their info and interest tabs. This is a real bad move on their part.
October 31st, 2010 at 4:27 pm
[...] Facebook to Begin Removing Third-Party User Profile Tabs on November 3rd (insidefacebook.com) [...]
December 21st, 2010 at 6:10 pm
I read someone write, “I’ll wait till someone builds another platform so I can build on it”…
I’m ready when you are… Send me an email.
One of the downsizes of growing into a billion dollar company is forgetting what got them there in the beginning… With the right mix of programmers, in 18 months we’ll sell our idea to google for billions. Who’s game? Send me an email and lets formulate a plan.
etvmoda@live.com
Vic
January 5th, 2011 at 7:23 pm
And roll on diaspora