While FriendFeed is the efficient geek hangout, it is Facebook that provides the social middle ground that bridges the gap between early adopters and the mainstream. What makes Facebook useful is that it attracts mainstream users and entices to publish content – something most of them would never do anywhere else. As Regular Geek puts it : “These are people who thought AOL was the internet“. They only visit a few mainstream sites and to them the Web is almost as read-only as dead tree media. That Facebook manages to turn them painlessly into content producers makes it useful for keeping in touch with everyone who does not know what web feeds are. Be aware that even though Facebook is not a dedicated photo sharing site, it beats them at their own game : with ten billion pictures posted, it is now the site with the most pictures shared.

But with mainstream users comes much cluelessness. Those are the people who mindlessly click the default option on every pop-up dialog in sight and then bring you malware ridden computers for healing while wondering why it is so slow and whether they should buy a new one – all they get from me nowadays is a kind word, an Ubuntu CD and offer to install it. Those users have shown time and time again how the path of least social resistance leads to a torrent of application spam.

Some applications such as are a useful addition to the social framework – among them I particularly like Friend Wheel. Many other are just games or even purely decorative trinkets but they should not be dismissed offhand: they have an important role in evangelizing social tools and in promoting use, and they have the social role of fostering playful interaction that reinforces social links. But if you look below, you’ll probably conclude that the quantity of shiny fluff is a tad overwhelming – this is the list of applications that my Facebook account blocks… And it was gathered in less than two years of activity !

  • Absolut Vodka
  • Addicted to NCIS
  • Addicted to Two and a Half Men
  • A la Antillean
  • Alice Blind Test
  • Amazing Wishlist
  • Animated GIFTS
  • A quel(le) star ressembles-tu le plus physiquement?
  • A quel X-Men ressembles tu ?
  • AREPAS and Venezuelan Food
  • Are you a great lover ?
  • Are You Lucky?
  • Are you Moroccan?
  • Are you romantic?
  • Art
  • ATTACK!
  • aWizard
  • Bathroom Wall
  • Be a Billionaire!
  • Because You’re Special
  • Become Rambo
  • Best Friend Contest
  • Best Match!
  • Best Wishes
  • Birthday Alert
  • Birthday Calendar
  • Birthday Cards
  • Blackjack
  • Bless You
  • Blow A Kiss
  • Books iRead
  • Booze Mail
  • Borat / Ali G Photos, Quotes and Trivia
  • Bowling Buddies
  • BrainFall.com Quiz Results
  • BrewSocial
  • Bubble Town
  • Bumper Sticker
  • Bumper Stickers [Photo Gifts]
  • Call Me on Skype
  • Card for Africa
  • Car IQ
  • Cat Breed Collection
  • Causes
  • Chanel Gifts ?
  • Characteristics
  • Check Your Dudeness
  • Chinese Horoscope
  • Circle of Friends
  • COMINGSOON
  • Comment finirez vous ?
  • Comment s’appellera l’homme de ta vie ?
  • Comparaison
  • Compare People
  • Coolest Friends
  • Coolest Person Contest
  • Crushes
  • Cute vs Sexy
  • Define Me
  • Delux Christmas Tree
  • Denzel Washington
  • De quel arrondissement parisien ètes-vous ?
  • Do people secretly hate you?
  • Drunk Survey
  • ePresident
  • Es-tu fort en histoire ?
  • Etes vous un minimum cultivé ?
  • Etre Marseillais
  • Eurosport – Liste des 23 pour l’Euro 2008
  • Family Guy – Blue Harvest
  • Family Tree
  • Famous Christian Quotes
  • FB Addict – are you hooked on FB?
  • FFR Supporters
  • Fine Wines
  • Flirtable
  • Fortune Cookie
  • Free Gifts
  • Fresh Prince
  • Friend Hug
  • Friends For Sale!
  • Fun Cards!
  • Funnest Person Contest
  • Funny Cards
  • Fun Toys
  • Genius Test
  • Gifts Gallery
  • Good Morning
  • (Green) What fruit are you?
  • Growing Gifts
  • Guerre des gangs
  • Hatching Eggs
  • hello kitty
  • High School Trivia Test
  • Holiday Shoppe (Christmas Tree)
  • Hotness
  • Hot Potato
  • Hottest Person Contest
  • How gangsta are you?
  • How Indian Are You?
  • how smart are u?
  • How stupid are you?
  • How will you die?
  • Hug Me
  • Hug Me
  • Hugs
  • Hug Time
  • Iframer
  • iLike
  • Instant IQ Test
  • IQ Test
  • IQ Test (Advanced Level)
  • is cool
  • iSmile
  • Japanese Foods
  • Japanese Sweets
  • Jedi vs Sith
  • Jetman
  • Jeu de Séduction
  • JungleBook
  • Kisses
  • Kisses!
  • Kiss Me
  • Knighthood
  • Language Exchange
  • Likeness
  • Likeness UNRATED
  • (Lil) Green Patch
  • Local Picks
  • Love Friend
  • LX Champions League
  • LX College Football
  • LX World Cup Football
  • Mario Kart RPG
  • Meet New People
  • Mesmo TV
  • MeteoSun
  • MindJolt Games
  • Mood Ring
  • Most Creative People
  • Most Eligible Singles
  • Most Gorgeous Person Contest
  • Most Wanted Valentine!
  • Mountain Climber
  • Movies
  • My Angels
  • My Aquarium
  • My Boxofun
  • My Drunk Friends
  • MyFlirt
  • My Hebrew Name
  • My Heroes Ability
  • My Music
  • My Personality
  • My Questions
  • MY SEXY FRIENDS
  • MySpace
  • MySpace Link
  • NAB Smart Cookies
  • Name Analyzer
  • NBA Challenge
  • Nicknames
  • Nova Music
  • OneTrack
  • Optical Illusions Challenge
  • OUIFM
  • Owned!
  • Passe Ton BAC !
  • Personality
  • Photo Quizzes
  • Pieces of Flair
  • Pillow Fight
  • Pillow Fight!
  • Pink Ribbon
  • Portrait Chinois
  • Pour quelle boîte Corse es-tu fait(e) ?
  • Pour quelle époque êtiez-vous fait(e)?
  • Pour quelle ville êtes-vous fait(e) ?
  • Pour quelle voiture es-tu fait(e)?
  • PrayLive
  • Premier Football
  • Pro League Rugby
  • PuzzleBee Jigsaw Puzzles
  • Q??l Pa?f?? E? T? ?
  • Que fuyez-vous le plus ?
  • Quel alcoolique êtes vous?
  • Quel chroniqueur du grand journal êtes-vous?
  • Quel écrivain êtes-vous?
  • Quel est ce défaut chez toi qui fait craquer les hommes?
  • Quel est ton degré de connerie??
  • QuEl EsT tOn MeC IdEaL???
  • Quel est ton niveau d’anglais?
  • Quel est ton niveau sexuel ?
  • Quel Festival es-tu?
  • Quel genre de pute es-tu ?
  • Quel joueur de rugby etes vous?
  • Quel joueur du PSG 2007-2008 es-tu ?
  • Quelle citation êtes-vous?
  • Quelle couleur es-tu?
  • Quelle desperate housewife êtes-vous ?
  • Quelle icone glamour es-tu?
  • Quelle ligne de métro êtes vous?
  • Quelle mec te correspond ?
  • Quelle paire de chaussures de créateur êtes-vous ? (pour filles)
  • Quelle princesse de Walt Disney êtes vous?
  • Quelles Vacances VIP es tu?
  • Quel Maman est tu ?
  • Quel mannequin es-tu?
  • Quel méchant de Disney es-tu ?
  • Quel nageur connus es tu ?
  • Quel personnage de desperate housewives es-tu?
  • Quel personnage de FRIENDS es-tu?
  • Quel personnage de KAAMELOTT es-tu ?
  • Quel personnage de la Révolution êtes-vous ?
  • Quel personnage des BRONZES êtes-vous ?
  • quel qualité êtes-vous?
  • Quel séducteur (trice) etes-vous ?
  • Quel sorte d’enfant étais-tu?
  • Quel sous-vêtement êtes-vous?
  • quel star es tu ?
  • Que pensent les autres de toi en secret?
  • Que vas tu faire de ta vie ?
  • Quizzes
  • RAYMOND DEMISSION !!!
  • Rock Paper & Scissors
  • R U CUTE!
  • Save An Alien
  • Say Happy New Year!
  • Say-it-with-Flowers
  • SceneCaster
  • ScoreMe
  • Secret Admirer – CRUSH on ME (PERFECT MATCH)
  • Send Beer
  • Send Chocolate
  • Send Diamonds
  • Send Good Karma
  • Send HOTNESS
  • Send Love Hearts
  • Send Luck
  • Send Sunshine
  • Send Teddy Bears
  • Send Tiaras
  • Send Tux
  • Send Veggie Tales
  • Sexiest Person Contest
  • Sexy Friends
  • Sexy Pillow Fight
  • Sexy Poke!
  • Shots!
  • similaire
  • Six Degrees
  • Sketch Me
  • Skiers vs. Snowboarders
  • Slayers
  • Slide FunSpace
  • Smiles
  • Snowball Fight
  • Snowball Fight!
  • Social Profile
  • Sparkey
  • SpeedDate
  • SpeedDate
  • SpeedDate
  • SpeedDate
  • SpeedDate
  • SpeedDate
  • Sports Fan
  • Status Competition
  • Stickerz
  • Sticky!
  • StyleFeeder
  • Sudoku
  • Suomi-ilmiö
  • Superlatives
  • SuperPoke!
  • Super Slot Machines
  • Super Wall
  • Sweetest Person Contest
  • Tarot
  • Test ton niveau de culture
  • Texas HoldEm Poker
  • The Brain Game
  • The Legend of Zelda Fan
  • The Official 100 Question Geek Test
  • The Sex Compatibility Test
  • The Unofficial Desperate Housewife Quiz
  • The World’s Smallest Political Quiz
  • Top Friends
  • T.O.T. Effect
  • Tower Bloxx
  • Travel Brain
  • Traveler IQ Challenge
  • Trend Setter
  • True Match
  • Truth Box
  • TuneSocial
  • Twirl
  • Twist me!
  • U.S. Citizen Test
  • Vampires
  • Wanna Dance?
  • Water Globe Gifts
  • WC 2010 Euro Predictor
  • We’re Related
  • WereWolves
  • What Beer Are You?
  • What Color Is Your Heart?
  • What Does My Birthday Mean?
  • What Drink Are You?
  • What flower are you?
  • What football player are you?
  • What Is Your Ideal Job?
  • What is Your Secret Sexual Fantasy?
  • What is Your Supermodel Personality?
  • What kind of candy are you?
  • What Kind of Cat Would You Be?
  • What kind of hair best suits you? (for girls)
  • What Kind of Mom Will You Be?
  • What Lost Character Are You?
  • What Mythological Creature Are You?
  • What serial killer are you?
  • What song are you?
  • What’s Your Stripper Name?
  • Whats you true name? (Girls only)
  • What type of person do you attract?
  • What type of warrior are you?
  • When will you get married?
  • Which Disney Princess Are You?
  • Which Disney Song Describes Your Life Right Now?
  • Which Fashion Designer Would You Be?
  • Which Festival best suits you??
  • which F.R.I.E.N.D.S character are you???
  • Which Friends Character Are You?
  • Which Grey’s Anatomy Character Are You?
  • Which Hot Celeb Are You?
  • Which Rockstar Are You?
  • Which Sex and the City Character Are You?
  • Which Simpsons Character Are You?
  • Which WaterAid Country Are You?
  • Who Has The Biggest Brain?
  • Who is Watching You ?
  • Who’s Online
  • Who’s the Coolest Cat?
  • Will you KISS me?
  • Winnie the Pooh
  • Word Challenge
  • Word Twist
  • YES or NO?
  • Your Birthday
  • You’re a Hottie
  • You’re Cute
  • Your Sexyness
  • YouTube Video Box
  • Zombies

You too can escape this minor pantheon of horror – and you can do it without the tedium of blocking each application as it spams your Facebook newsfeed. As you may know, Greasmonkey enables the customization through JavaScript of the way a webpage displays. Auto-Block Facebook Apps is a Greasmonkey script that will block application invitations sent to you by Facebook contacts. After the facebook profile page is loaded, it finds all the applications that your friends have invited you to and blocks them. Whenever you need you can go to the Facebook applications privacy controller and unblock the ones that you find somewhat valuable. With applications spam out of the way, Facebook will remain the neat social watering hole that makes it valuable for interaction with non-geeks.