Programming Social Applications

Build Social Integration Points Early

One of the biggest pitfalls for a lot of applications being developed within social containers is failing to account for the fact that a social application is not a traditional closed application. Building a simple service that doesn’t include any social hooks, promotional mechanisms through the user activity stream, or a means of interacting with the social graph is not enough. These social elements are critical for the application’s longevity and user growth.

When first specifying how the application should run, you must understand how social information will play into the overall application structure. Specifically, you should thoroughly explore how to promote your application through the user’s activities, interact with the user’s social graph to invite new application users, and leverage profile information to personalize your application.