WebProNews

Earlier today, a report pointed out that the revenue generated by Facebook apps is about equal to what the social networking site itself pulls in.  Both businesspeople and ordinary users may be interested to know, then, that 25 Facebook apps and Connect sites have been named fbFund 2009 finalists. 

The fbFund is designed to support developers and entrepreneurs who use Facebook's platform; winners can receive up to $100,000 in seed money, along with a lot of official assistance.  Facebook's reason for providing all this is that the finished products are supposed to become pretty huge draws.

So let's get on to the list of finalists.  The Connect sites include Frintro, GovIt, RunMyErrand, RentMineOnline, MyChurch.org, GreetBeatz, Workstir, NutshellMail, RunThere, DropPlay, Magellan, Life360, and Vittana (those last three are in private beta).

Next come the platform apps: Travel Brain, Networked Blogs, Gameyola, Photos I Like, Paradise Paintball 3D, Veechi Classes, SamaSource, and BitStrips (private beta).  And finally (for now), the iPhone apps: FriendFreak, Near+Now (Sortuv), Paparazzi, and CrazyMenu.

Another 25 finalists should soon be announced, and then the overall fbFund 2009 winners will be chosen.

This competition probably won't change the course of history, but it might have a big effect on some developers' lives and alter the way Facebook's perceived.