An Appeal to Facebook App Users
In September of 2008, TechCrunch posted this story regarding some Facebook apps being taken over by SpeedDate:
http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/09/12/speeddate-hijacks-facebook-users-with-a-bait-and-switch/
It didn't end with those three applications, however. I just today got e-mails from about a dozen of my other Facebook applications saying that they are becoming SpeedDate clones. And there have been more between now and then.
This annoys me. And when I say it annoys me, I don't mean the same level of annoyance I would reach if a friend were, say, poking me in the side repeatedly or singing "If You Seek Amy" to me for the 5,827,490,108th time in a row. (Britney Spears used my name in a song to tell us how much everyone wants to do her. I get it already. It was funny the first hundred times.)
No, I mean that this annoys me on a level that I cannot begin to explain and that you cannot begin to comprehend. I know it's probably a stupid thing to be angry about, but I am human, so sue me, and I am royally PO'd.
This is not something that an honest company does. (Referring to SpeedDate, not Facebook.) Good websites/businesses/apps/what have you speak for themselves. Viral marketing is one thing, but they shouldn't rely on manuevers like this. As you know, I'm in a relationship, so I wouldn't be using SpeedDate anyway, but even if I was single, I wouldn't use SpeedDate now if you paid me, after what they're pulling.
A post on one of the several Facebook groups speaking out against this reveals that this is not against Facebook's TOS for application providers. A change is certainly in order, then.
If you're on Facebook then I urge you to act with me. Unless you are actually using SpeedDate by choice, remove all the clones from your applications list. It will give you a choice to say why you are removing the application, use the space to tell them why and give the app a low rating. (Since the user base is being moved to the SpeedDate clone, I'm assuming the ratings are as well.)
Urge Facebook to change their policies regarding these apps. And tell SpeedDate what you think and how their behavior on Facebook negatively impacts your opinion of them.
This is the same tactic that Trojan horses use to infiltrate your computer and wreak havoc. It's no way for any reputable company to attract users.
