Facebook Connect. #OMFG.

Oktober 3rd, 2009 • Tech, Tools

I finally made it into white & nerdy paradise. I just wrote a Blog article about Facebook Connect not working well with WordPress. I promise to return to more important topics. But I still hope rants like that are being monitored and help to improve things. So here we go.

Deep in my heart I know Facebook Connect is the big thing. I am absolutely convinced of the idea of decentralizing stuff, no matter what that stuff is. I think content should follow me not the other way around. So, Facebook: Yay! Actually.

For a couple of months now I have tried to install Facebook Connect on my blog. I know that when it works, Facebook Connect adds about 15-20% readers to your Blog, it leverages conversations and it makes a lot more stuff possible. So, let’s go for Connect.

No developer = No Facebook Connect

Problem is I have a creative background. I used to be a copywriter, not a coder. I know a couple of lines of HTML but that’s basically it. Everything else should be self-explanatory, friends help me…or whatever. Frankly, Facebook Connect was a challenge for me!

By today Facebook has only managed to come up with a couple of third party WordPress plugins. None of them worked out fine. The so called Sociable plugin didn’t have any reasonable functionality while Adam Hupp’s plugin was the one I should finally be able to use (but I didn’t know at that time). Fact was when I installed the plugin it generated a king size error and nothing worked -> Deinstall.

It’s a challenge, not a problem

About 6 weeks ago I got to know a guy from Facebook. I told him I really expect Facebook Connect to be a killer app. Unfortunately it is to complicated for non-coders to install. I don’t think that it had anything to do with my comment, but yesterday Facebook launched the Facebook Connect Wizard – a tool which is supposed to turn your site into a Facebook Connect enable powerhouse within 3 clicks. Result: The app seems slick and nice but it is completely buggy and not usable for big ass CMS’ such as WordPress.

With the help of three developers from Neue Digitale / Razorfish (thx again to @janq, @n1els and @thomasraithel) I managed to get through a PHP 4 -> PHP 5 upgrade (dear WordPress: the error code ‘fatal error in module XYZ’ is useless. Please replace it with: ‘Your plugin needs a better PHP version, for god’s sake’), htaccess uploads, Javascript modifications etc. And when I saw the Facebook Connect Button underneath my blog post, I expected to be everything alright. Nope, it wasn’t!

Happily, I installed a couple of apps. Such as my new Facebook Fan Page Widget (right hand side) together with a Facebook Fan page (to keep Facebook friends updated). But when I integrated the Facebook Connect commentbox two more things happened

• The system did not offer users to integrate their blog url
• Older comments and non-Facebook comments weren’t integrateable, leaving me with a total of 2 “test” comments

Finally I replaced my original comments box together with the Facebook Connect commentsbox with Disqus. One article was the reason to do so. And by now I am pretty happy. Disqus is a good alternative in comment management. And even though one could criticize limited sharing options, it looks nice, usable and comes with a bunch of good touchpoints to other apps.

Why I write this

I know, it’s time to market, blah blah blah blah. But, dear Facebook: Make your killer app be integrateable by everyday users. Please who haven’t got three web developers by their side. Believe me, the community will be happy and you may even get sent a virtual high five (or whatever it is) by them. By now, unfortunately, your hero product is in perpetual Alpha.

And that sucks.

Please, do myself one favour and feedback on the new freakin’ amazing Disqus (not Facebook or WordPress) comment system.

Tags: Diy, Facebook, Facebook Connect, Fail, Tools

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