DISQUS

Hashim,

You bring up a very interesting and worthwhile point. Let me see if I can clarify.

Facebook's current advertising platform feels like it could be more optimized and to an extent this is likely true. If your application has an incredible revenue stream and/or click through ratio for advertising, the Facebook may take note and adapt their advertising offering from lessons learned. As a whole, however, directly copying any applications or features of applications would create unrest with the entrepreneurial developer community. The money from stealing one good app isn't worth the lost revenue from the five hundred applications that developers won't make because of Facebook's newly-gained "evil" mantra.

This will not and should not stop Facebook from innovating and developing new features, but any new features are more likely to be well expected and known beforehand and will very unlikely undercut successful applications. Facebook does not mind being outdone: there are two "alternative-wall" and three "alternate-poke" programs in the top twenty five as we speak. It has even sacrificed what looked to be an otherwise profitable venture with its Gifts to the various Free Gifts applications.

I cannot tell you what exactly the Facebook game-plan is for the next twelve months. I can tell you it will likely involve an even more advanced platform, as well as an e-wallet payment system. If you intend to build an application that requires money exchange, I would advise using PayPal for now and leaving space to integrate whatever Facebook will offer.

Generally speaking, though, you're OK. The makers of the Fortune Cookie and Zombies may at last have a good night's sleep :)