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Chapter 1 Introduction to e-business and e-commerce 19

1 Interface (API). The Facebook API uses a REST-based Facebook passes 30 million active users –
interface. This means that our Facebook method calls July 2007
are made over the Internet by sending HTTP GET or
Facebook active users passed 30 million according to
POST requests to our REST server. With the API, you
can add social context to your application by utilizing the Facebook blog in July 2007. Mashable (http://
profile, friend, photo, and event data. mashable.com/2007/07/10/facebook-users-2) reported
2 Query (FQL). Facebook Query Language, or FQL, that this represented a doubling in the first half of 2007).
allows you to use an SQL-style interface to more Data produced by querying the Facebook ad
easily query the same data that you can access targeting tool (www.facebook.com/ads) completed in
through other Facebook API methods. November 2007 by blogger P.K. Francis suggests that
3 Facebook Markup (FBML). FBML enables you to the majority of Facebook users in many countries are
build full Facebook Platform applications that deeply female: http://midnightexcess.wordpress.com/2007/11/
integrate into a user’s Facebook experience. You can 23/facebook-member-stats-an-update.
hook into several Facebook integration points, In terms of user engagement metrics, Facebook
including the Profile, Profile Actions, Canvas, News (www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics) shows
Feed and Mini-Feed. there are:
By January 2008, over 18,000 applications had been 68 million active users
built on Facebook Platform with 140 new applications An average of 250,000 new registrations per day
added per day. More than 95% of Facebook members since January 2007
have used at least one application built on Facebook Sixth-most trafficked site in the United States
Platform. (comScore)
According to the Facebook Applications Directory More than 65 billion page views per month
(www.facebook.com/apps), listing, in February 2008, More than half of active users return daily
the most popular FB applications were: People spend an average of 20 minutes on the site
daily (comScore).
1 FunWall. Videos, photos, graffiti, greeting cards,
flash embeds and more! 2,254,075 daily active users
2 Who’s in your Top Friends? Add your Best Friends to Advertisers assess reputational damage –
Summer 2007
your profile! 1,956,803 daily active users
3 Super Wall. Share videos, pictures, graffiti and more In August 2007, the BBC announced that six major mainly
with your friends! 915,832 daily active users financial services firms (First Direct, Vodafone, Virgin
4 Bumper Sticker. Stick your friends with funny Media, the AA, Halifax and the Prudential) had withdrawn
stickers! 891,230 daily active users advertisements from the networking web site Facebook,
5 Friends For Sale! Buy and sell your friends as pets! after they appeared on a British National Party page.
585,153 daily active users At a similar time, bank HSBC was forced to respond
6 Scrabulous. Play Scrabulous (Scrabble) within
to groups set up on Facebook criticizing them for intro-

Facebook. 632,372 daily active users duction of new student banking charges (although not
7 Texas Hold’Em Poker. Play Texas Hold’Em with your
until the case had been featured in the national media).
FB friends. 557,671 daily active users
8 Movies. Compare your taste in movies with friends.
Facebook Ads launched – 7 November
528,996 daily active users 2007
9 Compare people. Find out who stands where in
various categories: cutest, sexiest, smartest and Some of the features of Facebook ads (www.facebook.
many more. 428,432 daily active users com/ads) include:
10 Are YOU Interested? FUN application to see who is
Targeting by age, gender, location, interests, and more.
interested in YOU! 486,459 daily active users
Alternative payment models: cost per click (CPC) or
Some applications have been accused of FB impression-based (CPM).
Application Spam, i.e. ‘spamming’ users to request that ‘Trusted Referrals’ or ‘Social Ads’ – ads can also be
the application be installed. shown to users whose friends have recently engaged
Facebook Platform for mobile applications was with a company’s Facebook page or engaged with
launched in October 2007, although many Facebook the company web site through Facebook Beacon.
users already interacted with their friends through
At the time of the launch the Facebook blog made these
mobile phones.
comments, which indicates the delicate balance in getting