DIY Facebook de-sucking...

[bovil]

OK, I'm not going to rant about the Facebook interface redesign, I just don't care. It's not anywhere near the biggest bit of suck in Facebook.

The biggest bit of suck in Facebook is apps. Useless apps. Stupid apps. Spam apps. Deceptive apps. All without any real oversight from Facebook.

(Yes, I was stupid once, I clicked on a spam app. Never again.)

There's also all the app "status updates." Think about it. Do you really want to share your game status with everyone?

I don't give a damn about your hatchlings, your flair, any of that crap. It's just a virtual version of Let me tell you about my character, it's a half-elf ranger with a plus-twelve longsword and a magic bow and...

You've all been in that discussion at a convention, gnawing your leg off to escape. I suppose I could have updated that for WoW characters instead of D&D. It would have been more appropriately virtual.

That change your perspective on apps posting on your wall and profile?

So if you're a Facebook user, and you're my friend, please consider the following:

Clean up your apps.

• Edit your "allowed apps" list to remove apps that you don't use. You'll be fine if you remove everything except the core apps (events, groups, notes, photos, links and videos).
• If you must keep some game apps, edit your "allowed to post" apps list and deny your games from posting updates for all to see.

Your friends will thank you, and your Facebook will start working better.

Avoid new apps

1. Visit your "notifications" page. Un-check other applications besides "feed comments" and "likes." After you un-check an app, a panel appears above your notifications, and you can mark the application notifications as spam.
2. If you get an invite to an app, there's a little "block application" link below the invite. Use this link, and you will stop getting invites on that app.
3. If you know the name of an app, use the "search" bar at the top to find the application's page. You can block applications you haven't been invited to on their pages.
4. If you do find yourself on an "authorization page" for an app, find the name of the app in the description. Don't click on the big authorize button. Click on the application name link to go to the app's page, and block it.

Block apps. It's the right thing to do.

ETA: Wow... Authorization pages are really your friend. I just went through my newsfeed, clicking on apps that are posting to it, and used the auth page's link to the app pages to block a bunch. I also just found out that if I block apps they stop posting to my newsfeed (in spite of the warnings that suggest otherwise). I'm now rid of Hatchlings and a bunch of others.

Comments

[trystbat.livejournal.com]

Um, is there any way you can disable that Google Reader thing from posting your updates? I always see 3-4 of them telling me about a doc you did something with.

[melaniewing.livejournal.com]

Thanks... I like FB for some things, but the apps get out of hand...

[dakron.livejournal.com]

Thanks A, I just fixed mine, much appreciated.

[dsmoen.livejournal.com]

You rock.

[trinsf.livejournal.com]

I don't give a damn about your hatchlings, your flair, any of that crap. It's just a virtual version of Let me tell you about my character, it's a half-elf ranger with a plus-twelve longsword and a magic bow and...

I love you. I would offer to have your snarky lil babies, but I'm *so* over that lifestage.

[seekatesew.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the instructions! I hate to be (unintentionally!) obnoxious because of technological ignorance; hopefully this will help me avoid being part of the problem. :)

[moonpuppy61.livejournal.com]

You Said I don't give a damn about your hatchlings, your flair, any of that crap. It's just a virtual version of Let me tell you about my character, it's a half-elf ranger with a plus-twelve longsword and a magic bow and...

You've all been in that discussion at a convention, gnawing your leg off to escape. I suppose I could have updated that for WoW characters instead of D&D. It would have been more appropriately virtual.

Guilty here. However I try at conventions or online to let the audience opt-in to my endless D&D, WoW and gamer geeking. In fact I believe bovil was one of the people early in my LJ usage to lead by good example on how to filter and place behind the cut topics for a cleaner, more manageable view.

So thank you for the inspiration and insight for doing it with FB.

[nitroace.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I'll follow your instructions. The amount of notifications I'm getting is quite out of hand. When doing a quiz or some such the "now send this to your 20 bestest friends" page usually has a "skip" button in very tiny print. I generally use that to avoid sending crap to others.

Thanks again for the FB advice.

[esprix.livejournal.com]

By the way, I wanted to thank you for these tips. I'm finally aggregating my LJ to FB since some friends are only there and I'd like to keep in touch, but I am growing to loathe FB more and more. This will help keep me sane! :)