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Will facebook ever be the same?

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zridling:

Suddenly Zuckerberg don't look so smart anymore. Like a pop phenom or hot actor, internet apps fall far faster and harder than anything we remember on the desktop. Google's using its rules against the social giant:

Rule No. 1
When launching a social network: Make everyone wait in line. Exclusivity was how, in its early days, Facebook built buzz. For more than two years, you couldn't get in unless you had an email address ending in .edu. Google is using a similar strategy with Google+.

Rule No. 2
Deliver a better service. Adopting a new social network could prove similar to adopting a new email address: Many will try it out, but to keep using it, they have got to be given good reason. That Gmail offered significantly more storage space than typical Web mail meant millions were willing to make the switch. Similarly, Google+ offers upgrades on what many perceive to be Facebook's shortcomings. For starters, Google+ gives users a handy way to organize their social contacts into different "circles"—friends, relatives, colleagues, etc.—with which they can share appropriate things. Though Facebook now offers the option to create "Groups," users broadcast their information to everyone by default. Google+ also offers group video chats. That is why Facebook's announcement of one-on-one video on Wednesday seemed to fall short. Facebook has yet to introduce group video chat.

cmpm:
I haven't figured out how to get in g+.
All I see is that g+ sign on some pages.
I signed up for it and have heard nothing....

f... 'em

Still I can hot link to any google account pic or doc in Facebook.
So I still have plenty of storage from many sources,
Even without anything google.

Deozaan:
I haven't figured out how to get in g+.
All I see is that g+ sign on some pages.
I signed up for it and have heard nothing....
-cmpm (July 12, 2011, 07:25 AM)
--- End quote ---

Re-read rule #1.

Then send me a PM with your e-mail address so I can send you an invite. :Thmbsup:

JavaJones:
Google has done the "invite only" thing on multiple product launches now. It hasn't always (or even often) resulted in a long-term success, in some cases I would argue it even hurt adoption, but it's generally a good strategy I do agree.

I think if G+ were, say, like Buzz, or something else equally unimpressive and poorly executed, then it would not have the interest it does. It is exciting because it is truly and legitimately a better system, despite its faults and bugs (for being out less than a month, it has surprisingly few actually). Google has, in my opinion (and evidently in the opinion of a lot of the current users) "gotten it right". I can think of no better reason for a product/service to succeed than by just doing things better.

Sure, Google is leveraging existing systems and services (and their corresponding existing membership and content). So this is not necessarily something a random tech startup could do (at least not as well). Still, it's the underlying cleverness and usefulness of the ideas (Circles, especially) that are making the product shine right now. The UI is great too, but admittedly needs some bug fixes and polish. Rather than complain about it (or in addition to doing so), people should submit bug reports through the also well implemented bug report tool.

Google is iterating remarkably fast here. We'll see company/interest/etc. pages soon, apps also (hopefully with a better way to manage them than Facebook has), and likely every other important feature FB has. They're not hard to implement, and Google has already shown with what we have in G+ *today* that they can, in fact, implement a slick, intelligent system with a high level of features, and still maintain a fairly intuitive UI.

- Oshyan

cmpm:
Thanks Deozaan.

Since I showed how I really feel about it.
Not proud of the way I did, but sheesh, tired I guess.

PM on it's way.
peace on...

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