Voters for American Idol 2010 will now be able to vote via a Facebook application for their preferred contestants at any time, something which has never been available through Fox television. A web-based phone service, similar to Google Voice, called Ribbit, will allow application users to dial in their votes.

A novel system means you can earn more votes, after initially having 5 votes, by inviting other Facebook friends to use it. Facebook users will be required to create a Ribbit account by providing a telephone number and then once the American Idol voting lines open the votes submitted via the app will be automatically dialled in by Idol Fanatic.

The Idol Fanatic site also enables you to see who your Facebook friend’s favourites are and also allows users to discuss the shows. It’s a great innovation for fans of the show and Facebook, reflecting the ever-growing use of social media in television today.

It remains to be seen if American Idol or Fox will try to close down the app but it seems via Mashable.com the app complies with voting guidelines. Will you be making use of this fantastic app to vote and share in the experience of American Idol with your friends? Why not let us know what you think.

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