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seeking advice for facebook app

spanky

spanky

Lifer
hi guys. just looking for some advice on how i can materialize my facebook app idea. i'm not a developer, nor do i have any developer experience. the past several days, i have stumbled upon a facebook app idea, but i'm not sure how to get started. i've done a little bit of research, and i don't think that this app exists (yet). i was wondering... is there a way that i can "protect" my idea? what i mean is, is it within my rights to patent the idea or trademark the name?

currently, i am mingling with a few friends who do have development experience, and have asked them to take a gander at the FB developer pages. i'm waiting for them to get back to me regarding what they think is the scope of the project, and if its possible.

does anyone here have experience developing FB apps? just looking for some feedback regarding the experience. thanx in advance.
 
I've made some. Standard PHP with additional FBML (facebook language) for the facebook-specific stuff.

It's not too difficult, really - just like making any other kind of PHP site.
 
Originally posted by: ducci
I've made some. Standard PHP with additional FBML (facebook language) for the facebook-specific stuff.

It's not too difficult, really - just like making any other kind of PHP site.
Click to expand...

thanx for the feedback. i've heard ppl say this as well, but because i have no development experience, i am hesitant to come out and say that.

do you know if i can patent my idea?
 
You could..but patents take money and a lot of time. If you have a good idea, chances are its been done before. So just go ahead and develop the app and see what happens. First-mover advantage is lost the more you idle.
 
Originally posted by: Pugnax
You could..but patents take money and a lot of time. If you have a good idea, chances are its been done before. So just go ahead and develop the app and see what happens. First-mover advantage is lost the more you idle.
Click to expand...

thanx for the feedback. i was thinking the same thing too... how could this not yet exist? but so far, i have not found a similar app on FB. but just becuz i have not found it, does not mean it does not exists (perhaps i am looking up the wrong keywords). anyway, i think even if a similar app exists... there is no reason why two similar apps could not co-exist right?
 
Originally posted by: spanky
Originally posted by: ducci
I've made some. Standard PHP with additional FBML (facebook language) for the facebook-specific stuff.

It's not too difficult, really - just like making any other kind of PHP site.
Click to expand...

thanx for the feedback. i've heard ppl say this as well, but because i have no development experience, i am hesitant to come out and say that.

do you know if i can patent my idea?
Click to expand...

Patent it? I highly doubt it - and if you could, it would be nowhere near worth it.

Just build the app and hope for the best. There are countless clones of good ideas out there already - you just need to have the most viral, streamlined application design. Being original is really an afterthought, especially when it comes to Facebook apps.

Also of note, I am moderately interested in creating another facebook app. If your idea strikes me as "holy crap, that's genius" I'd be inclined to work with you.
 
Originally posted by: IcebergSlim
you can't even make money off of facebook apps can you?
Click to expand...

a guy i know told me that there is definitely money in there. but i really dont know if he is talking out of his arse. i'm still trying to get some answers myself.
 
Originally posted by: IcebergSlim
you can't even make money off of facebook apps can you?
Click to expand...

You can, primarily through advertising. The application is owned by the developer, so you can do what you want with it within the facebook TOS. Placing ads on your app pages is not in violation of that.

That, and people pay for users. Applications have sold for large sums of money just so someone has access to their installs. And with Facebook, it's not unheard of to get an install-base in the hundreds of thousands.
 
I own a software company, and we've created many products for ourselves and on behalf of clients. I'm not an expert on patent law, but we have had to go through this process many times. We've created products that were entirely software, and many that were actually hardware-based. Just saying that so you don't think I'm talking out of my arse.

No, you can't patent an idea. Patents are for innovations/inventions in some relatively palpable form, and an idea isn't one of them. Your only real hope in these cases is to be first to market, and that's really it. There are some unique situations in which software can play a part in a patent, but I'd be willing to bet my life that your Facebook app doesn't qualify.

If you think the idea is viable, then get your developer buddies together, offer sweat equity and get it out there asap.

imo.
 
Originally posted by: Descartes
I own a software company, and we've created many products for ourselves and on behalf of clients. I'm not an expert on patent law, but we have had to go through this process many times. We've created products that were entirely software, and many that were actually hardware-based. Just saying that so you don't think I'm talking out of my arse.

No, you can't patent an idea. Patents are for innovations/inventions in some relatively palpable form, and an idea isn't one of them. Your only real hope in these cases is to be first to market, and that's really it. There are some unique situations in which software can play a part in a patent, but I'd be willing to bet my life that your Facebook app doesn't qualify.

If you think the idea is viable, then get your developer buddies together, offer sweat equity and get it out there asap.

imo.
Click to expand...

thanx for the insight, much appreciated :thumbsup:
 
Originally posted by: spanky
Originally posted by: IcebergSlim
you can't even make money off of facebook apps can you?
Click to expand...

a guy i know told me that there is definitely money in there. but i really dont know if he is talking out of his arse. i'm still trying to get some answers myself.
Click to expand...

I would figure out the money part of it before doing anything. If you aint talkin about large money whats the point ? - jay z
 
Just what's needed, another app to be spammed with.

I have about 30 unaccepted app invites, I just want to see how bad it gets. Many are set up to make it easy to spam every single one of your friends with an invite in a single click. 99% of apps are useless sh*t turning facebook into myspace.

facebook needs to axe all apps
Click to expand...

If people were more reasonable and the stupid apps went away maybe not, but I don't trust people to keep their profiles readable. I see some where you have to scroll down 5 pages to see their wall. So by now I'd agree, axe the apps entirely.
 
Originally posted by: IcebergSlim
Originally posted by: spanky
Originally posted by: IcebergSlim
you can't even make money off of facebook apps can you?
Click to expand...

a guy i know told me that there is definitely money in there. but i really dont know if he is talking out of his arse. i'm still trying to get some answers myself.
Click to expand...

I would figure out the money part of it before doing anything. If you aint talkin about large money whats the point ? - jay z
Click to expand...

Well, for what it's worth, you sometimes have to "salt the jar" with a lot of these seemingly innocuous software ideas. I would guess that most of the recent successes in software (MySpace, Facebook, Digg, etc.; all of which are absolutely horrible implementations btw, but the business value doesn't count on technical quality) weren't started with any actual market analysis. Web 2.0+ really changed the way internet-based software deployments were carried out.

That said, unless the idea applies to the majority of Facebook users and somehow offers an advantage that Facebook itself can't implement themselves, then the potential for long-term success is likely very small.
 
Originally posted by: Descartes
Originally posted by: IcebergSlim
Originally posted by: spanky
Originally posted by: IcebergSlim
you can't even make money off of facebook apps can you?
Click to expand...

a guy i know told me that there is definitely money in there. but i really dont know if he is talking out of his arse. i'm still trying to get some answers myself.
Click to expand...

I would figure out the money part of it before doing anything. If you aint talkin about large money whats the point ? - jay z
Click to expand...

Well, for what it's worth, you sometimes have to "salt the jar" with a lot of these seemingly innocuous software ideas. I would guess that most of the recent successes in software (MySpace, Facebook, Digg, etc.; all of which are absolutely horrible implementations btw, but the business value doesn't count on technical quality) weren't started with any actual market analysis. Web 2.0+ really changed the way internet-based software deployments were carried out.

That said, unless the idea applies to the majority of Facebook users and somehow offers an advantage that Facebook itself can't implement themselves, then the potential for long-term success is likely very small.
Click to expand...

Maybe I'm too young - or just completely oblivious - to have ever heard the expression "salt the jar," but I can't even visualize what it means.

That aside, I basically agree with you.

The Facebook application demographic is typically 14-22 year-old females. Developers are finding out that people don't want to use Facebook apps as a replacement for other things - ie, word processing, google searches, finance management, etc.

Users want to throw shit at their friends, or give sexy gifts, or gloat about the places they've been. It's the really useless things that have caught on and became profitable.

As far as long-term success from a Facebook app goes - the best way I can imagine this happening is if your Facebook app is merely an extension of your existing website/product. You use the application as a gateway to a massive group of people and virally distribute it to get name recognition.

Any new website that provides any functionality whatsoever needs to include a facebook application in their business model.
 
Originally posted by: ducci
Originally posted by: Descartes
Originally posted by: IcebergSlim
Originally posted by: spanky
Originally posted by: IcebergSlim
you can't even make money off of facebook apps can you?
Click to expand...

a guy i know told me that there is definitely money in there. but i really dont know if he is talking out of his arse. i'm still trying to get some answers myself.
Click to expand...

I would figure out the money part of it before doing anything. If you aint talkin about large money whats the point ? - jay z
Click to expand...

Well, for what it's worth, you sometimes have to "salt the jar" with a lot of these seemingly innocuous software ideas. I would guess that most of the recent successes in software (MySpace, Facebook, Digg, etc.; all of which are absolutely horrible implementations btw, but the business value doesn't count on technical quality) weren't started with any actual market analysis. Web 2.0+ really changed the way internet-based software deployments were carried out.

That said, unless the idea applies to the majority of Facebook users and somehow offers an advantage that Facebook itself can't implement themselves, then the potential for long-term success is likely very small.
Click to expand...

Maybe I'm too young - or just completely oblivious - to have ever heard the expression "salt the jar," but I can't even visualize what it means.

That aside, I basically agree with you.

The Facebook application demographic is typically 14-22 year-old females. Developers are finding out that people don't want to use Facebook apps as a replacement for other things - ie, word processing, google searches, finance management, etc.

Users want to throw shit at their friends, or give sexy gifts, or gloat about the places they've been. It's the really useless things that have caught on and became profitable.

As far as long-term success from a Facebook app goes - the best way I can imagine this happening is if your Facebook app is merely an extension of your existing website/product. You use the application as a gateway to a massive group of people and virally distribute it to get name recognition.

Any new website that provides any functionality whatsoever needs to include a facebook application in their business model.
Click to expand...

i must admit that i have a vision to extend those useless functions. however, i also believe my idea can be applied outside of facebook as well. i'm thinking FB right now because i want to leverage their existing user base.

 
Originally posted by: ducci
Originally posted by: IcebergSlim
you can't even make money off of facebook apps can you?
Click to expand...

You can, primarily through advertising. The application is owned by the developer, so you can do what you want with it within the facebook TOS. Placing ads on your app pages is not in violation of that.

That, and people pay for users. Applications have sold for large sums of money just so someone has access to their installs. And with Facebook, it's not unheard of to get an install-base in the hundreds of thousands.
Click to expand...
Bingo. Money made from Facebook & Myspace generally comes from advertising. An app can help you do that by getting people's attention properly, capturing the attention of a targeted audience.

If your app doesn't do that, you probably shouldn't bother.
 
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