Anyone who has ever searched through the third-party applications that run on Facebook user profiles knows that most of them are, ahem, a bit frivolous.
Some test your knowledge of movie trivia. Others ask you to rate your contacts in order of traits like intelligence and attractiveness. Still others do nothing but let you annoy your friends with “hugs,” “pokes” and other meaningless cyber-gestures.
But according to the NY Times:
A program to be officially introduced on Monday by a New York-area nonprofit organization called Takes All Types aims to better coordinate where and when people donate blood in response to shortages and crises while encouraging broader donation over all.
For those who opt in, the system will send out alerts through Facebook — as well as by phone, fax, e-mail and text message — when their blood type is needed in their area. It will also send out reminders for regular donations.
The article goes on to assert this new application is one of many signs that the increasing number of fogies (defined as anyone over 35) with Facebook profiles is forcing the social network to grow up a bit.
I’m not sure I’ve seen too many signs of that just yet, but the blood donor application seems like an interesting step in that direction. It’s also a vivid illustration of how technology lets people do big things on the cheap. The whole thing was developed for $500.
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