The Facebook dichotomy

It’s strange! Jason Moffat moans about the plethora of “mindless” Facebook applications (like virtual beer) being developed (over 1800) yet the metrics state that the more mindless apps are the ones what are the stickiest and achieve traction.

But the Facebook paying advertisers want sticky traffic, not intellectual world saving social improvements.

So for fun, and as a first toe in the water, I created BumBite, a slightly mindless FUN app, but with a “serious purpose“.

So far the reactions have been 89% positive, which for a random crowd is “not so shabby”. Reactions like ROFL, that is so funny, cute, wow I can see the potential in this, and “that’s cheeky” are typical so far.

Jason threatened me (?) with the “Figure Four Leglock” but as I don’t know what that is, it doesn’t seem to hurt so far.

As I tried to explain to him, whilst BumBite is a FUN throwaway, and is NOT a good viral app, it’s intentions are good!

“Jason

Like you said, when I first joined Facebook I had zero modules and no way to know how to approach “new” people. Especially those I fancied or fell in love with immediately. “Poking” them didn’t seem appropriate, whatever that was/is. And you know how lame “I fancy you”, “please be my friend”, “fancy a coffee/beer/cookie”, come stroke my pet”(?) are!

The BumBite, while cheeky, corny, (crap?) is a fairly obvious statement. It is either fun (89% of people have found it hilarious so far) or it really means “hey I like you” so is a great ice breaker with a real meaning.

Obviously the bad business part is that it is not viral. 99.99% of people will not use it daily, unless they are unable to hold a relationship for more than 24 hours, or work as pimps (neither an audience demographic that I’m sure I want). The remaining 0.01% will be emotionally open enough to tell their friends/lovers/LOA using BumBite.

So shoot me?
It’s a novelty widget that may actually help people with their relationships. My bad

But if I’d called it “I love you”, or “I fancy you”, it wouldn’t work. It would either be too soppy, too serious, or too blatant.
And it doesn’t have to be sexual anyway. It could just be, “hey you are my best friend in the world”, “you helped me through my illness”, “you were there for me through the death of my loved one”. That stuff is often hard to say face to face! With BumBite you can add a custom comment, and that’s far easier and more natural than an email, a card or a letter.

I may be wrong, but isn’t that one step above a virtual beer and a vampire bite (facebook app ranking #20 I believe).

Good intentions, badly executed. I don’t know.
You are judge, jury and executioner.
The only good thing for me in a virtual world, is I don’t need to know your sentence

But in an impersonal virtual world, isn’t it good that some people are trying to find new ways to get face to face contact again?

My next apps are business/productivity apps. So maybe you”ll like those…

All the very best! Truly!
Peter”

I think the BumBite tag line sums it up pretty well;

“Show you care. Bite a Bum today!”

You can install Bumite on Facebook by clicking here; Install BumBite for Facebook and judge for yourself. But even if you only tell one person that you really care, then I may not burn in hell after all.

See you down there Jason