Easy Facebook apps with Microsoft's PopFly

As I go around Silicon Valley, Facebook is very much a common topic of conversation. If it isn't then I usually make it one.

I often ask companies "do you have a Facebook app yet?" I get two answers: "yes, we are just about to roll one out; or: "no, it is not a priority because FaceBook is (fill in the blanks....lame, a fad, too hyped, etc). That "no" quickly becomes a very emotional argument about the lack of a future for Facebook.

But these are misplaced emotions because whatever people's personal opinion is about Facebook, there is no getting away from the fact that there is tremendous momentum and energy around this platform right now.

And if you wait, you'll be lost in a flood of Facebook apps. It is best to do your Facebook app now, before the deluge. And it doesn't take much work, from a weekend to a month, depending on your experience level.

Microsoft offers an even easier way to develop simple Facebook apps through PopFly, a technology it recently released as an alpha. PopFly is based on Microsoft's Silverlight web development platform. It's simple user interface lets anyone create mashups with a point and click, then publish those apps on Facebook or any other site. And it is free to use, including for commercial purposes.

Here is Dan Fernandez from Microsoft at a recent Facebook developer conference, Graphing Social Patterns, showing PopFly in action.