Facebook Apps & the Tragedy of the Commons

This article discusses the challenges of managing the user experience within the Facebook ecosystem, specifically in relation to the behavior of Facebook apps. It explores the concept of the "tragedy of the commons," where each app, acting in its own interest, can negatively impact the overall user experience on the platform.

It highlights the impact of "viral channels" used by Facebook apps, which can lead to a degraded user experience.

It suggests that a human-based solution to this problem can create gray areas and challenges in regulation.

The Challenge of Facebook App Behavior

The author argues that the current system lacks a mechanism to incentivize good behavior from Facebook apps. Each app operates in its own silo, optimizing for its own success, often at the expense of the overall user experience. This leads to a "tragedy of the commons" situation, where the shared resource, the Facebook newsfeed/notifications/email inbox, becomes overloaded and less valuable.

A Proposed Solution: Facebook Notifications Point System

To address this challenge, the article proposes a point system for Facebook apps. This system would encourage apps to prioritize user engagement and minimize the use of intrusive notifications.

Each Facebook app would earn points based on its user engagement, such as pageviews, time spent on the app, and revisits.

These points could then be used to purchase different types of notifications, with more obtrusive notifications, like emails, costing more points.

Facebook could regulate the overall user experience by adjusting the cost of notifications based on usage patterns, ensuring that users don't receive an overwhelming number of notifications.

Implications and Challenges of the Proposed System

The article acknowledges that the proposed system has potential implications and challenges. These include:

Determining the specific activities that generate points, such as engagement, positive reviews, and retention rate.

Identifying the activities that cost points, such as sending notifications, uninstalls, and reports as spam.

Considering the potential emergence of a secondary market for notification points.

Developing strategies to prevent users from cheating the system.

Maximizing User Experience in the Facebook Economy

The proposed system aims to address the challenges of managing Facebook app behavior and creating a more positive user experience. By incentivizing responsible behavior and giving Facebook greater control over notifications, it could help to ensure that the Facebook ecosystem remains a valuable and engaging platform for users.

The Role of Facebook in Regulating App Notifications

Facebook has a significant role to play in regulating app notifications and ensuring a positive user experience. The proposed point system offers a potential framework for managing app behavior and preventing the "tragedy of the commons" from negatively impacting the platform.

Facebook could monitor the points earned by each app and set limits on the number of notifications they can send.

This would give Facebook the ability to intervene and protect users from excessive notifications.

By adjusting the cost of different types of notifications, Facebook could encourage apps to prioritize more subtle and user-friendly methods of communication.

The Future of Facebook Apps and User Experience

The future of Facebook apps and user experience will depend on how the platform addresses the challenges of app behavior. The proposed point system offers a potential solution, but it will require further development and implementation to be effective. Facebook's ability to create a sustainable and engaging platform will depend on its commitment to managing app behavior and prioritizing user experience.