Tag Archives: HTML

Many companies who’ve invested in Facebook apps have no idea their code may fail next year, and while this isn’t quite Mayan-prophesy-2012 scary, affected businesses should know that Facebook apps written in FBML will no longer be supported starting in January – and these same apps will no longer exist in June. 

Facebook doesn’t, as policy, tell everyone about such breaking code changes. As nerds who watch their dev blog, we get such scoops – and we’ll share the news if you RSVP for our next webinars, Tuesday, November 29 at 10:15 a.m (Central) and Thursday, December 1 at 3:15 p.m.

We’ll cover how nerds can help businesses protect their social media investments by converting FBML to HTML, and how to tell if your Facebook app is written in code that limits its shelf life. Can’t wait for the webinar to find out how to spot an endangered Facebook app? Check this out:
http://blog.nerdery.com/2011/11/dont-go-breaking-my-app/

Plenty of companies don’t know they have expiring FBML apps – and since Facebook won’t tap them on the shoulder, we’re spreading word to those who wouldn’t otherwise see this breaking-code change coming.  It almost feels like we’re doing a PSA – but yeah, public awareness means business for nerds. The more you know…

Facebook forewarns that FBML, or Facebook mark-up language, is a dying language. This will force companies with existing Facebook apps to move it or lose it. On January 1, 2012, Facebook will no longer support apps coded in FBML – so, no bug fixes, ever again. More ominously, on June 1 all existing FBML apps – whether bug-riddled or still fully-functional – will vanish, along with user data that, until then, lived in them. Facebook giveth and taketh. But, if you proactively convert your FBML to HTML on an iFrame, all’s well. Not sure if your Facebook app’s days are numbered? Dan will tell you how to tell:

Endangered Facebook Apps in 2012 from The Nerdery on Vimeo.

Call it spring cleaning, as Facebook is purging old tech in favor of something newer and, for them, much more nimble: HTML and iFrames. Whereas FBML hogs HD space on Facebook’s content delivery network, iFrames are hosted on each user’s server.

Sure, FBML apps won’t necessarily break right then on New Years Day, but if they do, there’ll be no easy fix. To be clear, FBML apps will soon no longer exist – let alone work – on Facebook Platform; all FBML endpoints are history, come June.

Now, the good news: There’s time to be proactive, and I’m surrounded by nerds who assure me they can make everything alright. At The Nerdery we’re collectively versed in virtually all programming languages (and can practically write Haiku in them), so converting FBML to HTML is right up our alley – whether we were the original developer of your Facebook app or not. Let me hook you up.

Learn more on Facebook changes in our  previous posts and our upcoming webinars.