Google+

[Mark0]

Will be the right time for Google's take on social web?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwnJ5Bl4kLI

The Google+ Project - Learn more

The Official Google Blog - Introducing the Google+ project: Real-life sharing, rethought for the web

Something seems done really well, like the Circles metaphora to categorize people in different groups - something that Facebook just don't do (right).

BTW, if anyone have an invitation to spare...  

[JavaJones]

Personally I think this looks really promising. As close to what *I* have wanted social networking to be as I've seen yet (at least judging from info available so far). The "Circles" thing (friend groups) is particularly nice-looking, and a killer must-have feature for me. Facebook's current implementation of this is *sorely* lacking IMO (I've tried to use it but it did lots of things I didn't want). The other features also look pretty cool, combining interesting aspects of lots of other services. Here's hoping it takes off (and that I get an invite soon!).

- Oshyan

[40hz]

Sparks and Circles looks very interesting.

My only problem is I'm very much divided on how much more I'm willing to let Google know about me (and my friends) than it already does.

However, that's how I feel about social media sites in general. So there's nothing specific to Google in my concern about this...

Gonna really need to think about this one.

[rgdot]

Looks promising and it seems a much more low key launch than Wave which says a lot too

[Renegade]

Interesting. Looks very useful. I'm not sure if they'll be able to get the kind of traction needed though. Facebook seems to be the 800 lb gorilla.

[zridling]

Although I'm more hermit than social guy, the only time Facebook makes the news is when it gets people into trouble (much like Twitter). And without the filters and categories that Google+ project is introducing here, Facebook is too often used against you. For example, divorce lawyers mine your Facebook page to use it against you -- "You friended Becky, you bastard!" Or employers use it to find out that you're not a god-believer... oh wait, Facebook has NO option for telling the world you're an atheist! But if you're a tongue-speaking snake handler, you're covered.

With this Google+ project, you could conceivably let only those you want know what you want them to know or see. Much safer.

[Renegade]

With this Google+ project, you could conceivably let only those you want know what you want them to know or see. Much safer.

Will that be enough for it to gain traction?

[Deozaan]

I can't be the only one that noticed this:

[attachimg=#]

I guess it could stand for "Feed Back" but... it just seemed like too much of a coincidence.

[jazper]

divorce lawyers mine your Facebook page to use it against you

My friend is a family attorney, he can confirm this...Facebook is a gold mine and a headache for lawyers.

As for Google+ , I like what I see and can't wait to give it a try.

[Deozaan]

I didn't really understand Sparks, so I watched the video on it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRkAdTflltc

Huh?

You are friends with people because they are the people who don't mind when you talk to them about things that don't interest them? They are the people that let you talk about stuff that only interests you? Subjects that are not common interests?

What a weird (read: selfish) definition of a friend.

[Renegade]

As for Google+ , I like what I see and can't wait to give it a try.

It seems to me that social sites like that are very much like a party. But who wants to go to a party when you're the only one there? Will anyone that you know show up? Dunno. That's what's stopping me from signing up.

Do post back though on your thoughts about it.

[JavaJones]

Remember everyone, MySpace used to be king of the heap. Facebook *will* fall, sooner or later. Will it be Google+? I don't know. I have my doubts. But it will happen eventually.

- Oshyan

[Renegade]

Remember everyone, MySpace used to be king of the heap. Facebook *will* fall, sooner or later. Will it be Google+? I don't know. I have my doubts. But it will happen eventually.

- Oshyan

Last I heard, it's selling for $30 million. (Sold before for $580 million.)

[justice]

Nothing is stopping people from being on both, just like some people use multiple browsers.

[zridling]

Chrome already has extensions to share FB and Twitter content with Google+. And meanwhile, after a night with it, almost everyone on my twitter feed is impressed, including Anil Dash: Big picture take-away: Google has built an attractive, intuitive, intelligent service that's fun to use and speaks to a deep human need for contextual integrity of communication. There is not just public/private, life is more complex than that. This need, unmet by almost any other social network today, is where Google is aiming to win the hearts of users. The app the company built towards that aim is smooth and pleasing to use.

[attach]

[zridling]

Will that be enough for it to gain traction?

Yes, no, yes. Facebook loves to censor content, and like MySpace, for the kiddies, it's showing its age (they like NEW things just for their newness, remember?). That said, even if Google+ were to fantastically carve 30% of FB's users, the next new thing would come along by then and the cycle would likely repeat itself. Don't know people who are loyal to FB as they are brands like Microsoft and Apple.

[Lashiec]

Looks good, I guess. Otherwise, it does not seem to do anything Facebook can't do. If it gets enough traction, it's just another Google service I get to use, if it does not, well, I can easily ignore like I do with Buzz and Google Profiles. Ah, yes, yet another sound idea from Google that didn't get enough attention.

Thing is, I'm pretty ambivalent towards social networks. To me it's just another tool to stay in touch with friends, just like forums, IRC and instant messaging continue to be. But everyone insists on treating it like the next big thing despite being clear that there's no game changer here, with profound effects for the evolution of society at large, it's just another addition to a digital toolbox. I often wonder if the people building these things are so crazy about them as the diggerati always are, and if their experience or even their social life match the experience they're trying to market.

[40hz]

It pays to remember Google's primary goal is to deliver advertisements and ad related services. And collect data on usage patterns which they sell back to advertisers.  

For Google, it's not a question of doing anything other than attracting and retaining eyeballs. Everything after that is secondary. They could care less about winning hearts. If a popular product or service emerges as a side effect of their main goal, all well and good as far as Google is concerned.  But it's not their primary objective which is to get your attention and analyze how you use the web.

[Lashiec]

Well, a popular product has more chances of attracting and retaining eyeballs, doesn't it?

[40hz]

^Absolutely. No doubt about it 

My point was just that social networking would merely be a byproduct for Google, not their real business.

[Mark0]

And this is a difference between Google and others:

ExtremeTech - Google Takeout lets you easily export your data from Circles

If you haven’t heard of them before, the DLF is a group and a website that helps you extract your data from Google’s web services into open, easily-transferable file formats. You can then take your email or docs or RSS feeds and import them into an installed program, or Microsoft or Yahoo’s equivalent web service. Curiously enough, though, the DLF is an engineering team at Google. The idea isn’t that they want you to transfer your data away from Google — they just think it’s important that you can. It’s basically Google’s way of showing that the data it holds in its massive database is yours, and you’re free to do what you like with it; it’s the embodiment of Google’s corporate Don’t Be Evil motto, in other words.

[jazper]

It pays to remember Google's primary goal is to deliver advertisements and ad related services. And collect data on usage patterns which they sell back to advertisers. 

This is no different than what Facebook does. 

[40hz]

It pays to remember Google's primary goal is to deliver advertisements and ad related services. And collect data on usage patterns which they sell back to advertisers.  

This is no different than what Facebook does.  

While that may be true, there's a huge difference in the scale and sophistication of what Google does compared to Facebook. Google is a marketing company that offers free web services to facilitate its marketing and data collection businesses. Facebook is primarily a social network that supports itself through advertising and the collection of demographic data. That's a small but very significant difference.

Google also isn't a one trick pony. If Circles fails, Google just moves on to other opportunities. (Look at Buzz.) Facebook has one product so all its eggs are in one basket. Admittedly it's a very large basket. But so was MySpace's basket at one time.

I personally think the best Circles will be able to accomplish is a peaceful coexistence with Facebook due to the incredible gravity well having a membership approaching the billion mark creates.

There's also nothing in Circles that Facebook couldn't duplicate from a purely technical perspective. It's just a question of will they - and would anybody care if they didn't?

Time will tell.  

[mahesh2k]

This is no different than what Facebook does.

Facebook has no web crawler (bot), google has it. Facebook doesn't disclose your data outside their network if you make such configuration in account settings. Google chases you on web using bot unless you specifically block the crawler(for your websites, profiles on social network etc) or they ban you for SEO trickery. I have a profile(check if it lets you view it without login in to facebook) and plenty of groups on facebook which are private and all these years they never made it on google or any other search engine results. Facebook targets users based on the information filled in profile and IP address, outside their network they don't chase you. Google desperately wants data for public usage/view so they can crawl and make money off the keywords used in the data. This is the reason they never take out sex tapes off youtube quickly( referring to Daniela Cicarelli case and many other cases) and same applies to other data formats on their other services. Do you think google likes anonymous groups/data/person ? They make money by publishing the data to public and showcasing ads on them. Don't be evil is big joke from google. Any adsense publisher can verify that because there is setting for geo-targeting/behavioral targeting to match the ads.

oh wait, Facebook has NO option for telling the world you're an atheist!

  my profile has Atheist status. Facebook uses tag feature for location/religion/hobbies, so you can insert any custom <religion><random word> on profile fields. I guess you never filled your profile on facebook.

[40hz]

@mahesh2k Wow! That's even worse than I thought it was.

And I already thought it was pretty bad.