Read/Write Web has a great writeup about the NY Times' new Facebook application.

Josh Catone points out that it's better than some other newspaper based applications in that it acts as a tool that drives people back to the newspaper's site:

New York Times Launches Facebook App

The New York Times has taken a different tactic, however, and done a lot to nudge users toward their content. First, of course, by creating an app that seeks user engagement on a daily basis. Unlike the Post application, which you use once then wear as a badge on your profile, the NYT app encourages users to interact with it every day as fresh news quizzes arrive.

That's a great point. In many ways, it reminds me of Michael Feldman's Whad'Ya Know? on Wisconsin Public Radio (and syndicated onto many other local public radio stations). That show quizzes callers about the news of the week on the top news and quirkiest news of the previous week.

If the NY Times is able to recreate that type of competition within Facebook, which then makes people reliant on the Times for quiz material, they should have a winner.

This isn't something that's going to reach iLike potential, but there are plenty of newshounds who could be attracted to this sort of thing, building closer loyalty to the Times and increasing daily page views (and ad impressions) from those users.