Blocking Facebook quizzes just got easier

Jared Atchison 14 Oct, 2009 at 12:29pm ET Article published in Tech

Facebook is finally giving users the ability to block those pesky quizzes from polluting their news feeds.

Oh sure, you could block them before, but the Facebook API essentially forced you to block every quiz individually. This was due to the fact that the app developers were giving each quiz its own unique app ID. So even though you blocked the “How would you do in a fight against Chuck Norris?” quiz,  the “Where will Kanye interrupt you?” quiz could still sneak into your news feed.

Yo, I'm happy for you, and I'ma letchu finish, but I'm the best picture of all time. OF ALL TIME.

Facebook has responded to these growing concerns by updating their Application API. The new update allows users to not only block an application, but the parent application as well. Blocking a parent application prevents a developer’s quizzes and applications from appearing in your news feed. The new functionality can be found under the “hide” button that appears when you mouse over an entry in your Facebook feed.

Who would hide Mafia Wars? That shit's so cash!

Facebook app devs can’t be happy about this, but we’re pretty sure most readers don’t care to know that their friend found a lonely Brown Cow on their farm.

Comments

1. 
   14 Oct 2009 ~ 12:53pm Starman I have certainly seen enough lonely cows and "what elemental vampire demon are you" quizzes. Thanks for the article.
2. 
   14 Oct 2009 ~ 1:11pm wahay One of the reasons I went to Twitter and left Facebook in the dust.
3. 
   14 Oct 2009 ~ 1:54pm mjollie Where's the "like" button?
4. 
   14 Oct 2009 ~ 1:57pm Garg Thank God.
5. 
   14 Oct 2009 ~ 2:00pm Colgere Finally!
6. 
   14 Oct 2009 ~ 2:06pm Koreish Took them forever and a year to do something right.
7. 
   14 Oct 2009 ~ 3:12pm ardichoke This is exactly why I install Greasemonkey and the Facebook Purity script on my computer.
8. 
   14 Oct 2009 ~ 3:13pm pigflipper I've noticed that some apps have started posting to the users wall as a regular post instead of an app post. Can't block those without blocking the person.
9. 
   14 Oct 2009 ~ 3:14pm Thrax I went through and purged every app I could find from reappearing on my feed. Sweet sanity.
10. 
    14 Oct 2009 ~ 3:41pm Annes Based on the article, I couldn't tell what to do. After some poking and prodding I figured it out.
    
    Here's the specifics:
    1) Go to your Friends Feed and find an irritating application
    2) Click on the Application name, which is down by the post time
    3) Once at the Application page, click the Block Application link to the left
    4) Stare in wonder as the application disappears from your Friends Feed
    
    Here are links to some of the more evil offenders:
    Mafia Wars
    YoVille
    Quiz Creator
    Quiz Monster
    Make a Quiz!
    Horoscopes
    Happy Aquarium
    Island Paradise
    Bejewled Blitz
11. 
    14 Oct 2009 ~ 4:04pm Thrax You made it way too complicated. All you have to do is mouse over the post in your news feed and click the "hide" button. If a developer is associated with the app, you can block the entire developer from that menu. If there is no developer listed, you can just block that app.
12. 
    14 Oct 2009 ~ 4:51pm Starman Alternatively, you could infiltrate the staff of the more corporate-level application creators, slowly and subtly sabotage their funding, and bankrupt them over the course of a year or more.
    
    I just did what Thrax said, though.
13. 
    14 Oct 2009 ~ 5:14pm Garg

    ardichoke wrote:

    This is exactly why I install Greasemonkey and the Facebook Purity script on my computer.

    
    That never worked right for me. Usually, it either did nothing, or blocked whole blocks of posts not having anything to do with spam apps.
14. 
    14 Oct 2009 ~ 5:20pm ardichoke

    Gargoyle wrote:

    That never worked right for me. Usually, it either did nothing, or blocked whole blocks of posts not having anything to do with spam apps.

    ... and nothing of value was lost.
15. 
    16 Oct 2009 ~ 12:03pm jack kirbala facebook purity works fine for me its compatible with all the major browsers (firefox, google chrome, safari and opera) and it even has a cool whitelist function.
16. 
    16 Oct 2009 ~ 12:08pm Thrax No shilling in the champagne room.
17. 
    28 Oct 2009 ~ 3:35pm jack kirbala btw your link in the parent article does not relate to your blog post whatsoever. theres no mention of blocking apps on the facebook page you link to...
18. 
    28 Oct 2009 ~ 3:43pm jared The launch of the Create Application API, which the article talks about, is what gives users the new ability to block the parent apps.
    
    I suppose next time I can try to find something more specific in the developer wiki.