Google Launches Google+ Social Network 368
Randyll writes "Today, Google announced its decisive entry into the world of social networks by introducing Google+, a social network tied around Google services. Its aim is to be different from other networks with emphasis on privacy and a different kind of social networking. Instead of connecting with your friends, Google+ aims to center connections around specific groups—colleagues, projects, or groups of friends—with the ability to use high-quality video chats and a unique and rich web-based user experience. It is currently in beta with opt-in invites."
Several other readers submitted speculation about another mysterious new Google service as well.
Couldn't be worse (Score:5, Insightful)
Facebook screws me over daily. No, I don't want any facebook credits. No, I don't want to play farmville. Disgusting...
This is going to fail. (Score:5, Insightful)
Facebook specifically benefits from the lack of privacy of its users to generate attention grabbing content to as many users as possible. The endless time people spend on Facebook is not spent creating content or communicating - it's spent stalking other people. Facebook is like a super-tabloid or like gossip on crack.
Businesses everywhere promote Facebook by requesting users to Like them. Most users are blissfully unaware that by Liking they aren't just anonymously adding 1 to the Like count, but they are also endorsing the business and giving permission to the business to spam them. The friend counter is like an addictive game with the aim to accumulate as many points as possible with shame built-in if you don't have as many points as others have.
Facebook is a useful communication tool, but it's also evil. It takes advantage of its users in order to promote itself and its interests. If Google isn't ready to go full evil, they have no chance to compete in that arena. Sure, people will use the new awesome services Plus will offer, but it's not enough to get the attention Google wants for its advertising needs. People who can't kill will always be subject to those who can. Same thing applies to businesses who won't turn evil.
Finally, a social network that won't.... err wait (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Good Opportunity (Score:5, Insightful)
I've never understood the desire to make personal information about yourself public.
Well, it's no wonder you don't understand the desire to make everything about your life completely public, because for most people *total* exposure isn't a feature of the Facebook model; it's an unfortunate side effect.
The problem with Facebook is that it assumes you have only *one* social network. That your work colleagues, family, and spouse swapping club are just different entry points into one big homogeneous social network. This is manifestly false, but Facebook wants every individual's social network to be as large as possible because that's more profitable. That's why Facebook's twiddling of its privacy controls only produces more confusion. Users can't *get* what they really want with Facebook's network model, so any attempt to impose security on top of that model only makes it harder to share what they *do* want to share with the people they want to share it with.
The big question is how much of this is deliberate? Some think Facebook has a goal of training people to accept less privacy. I don't think that their goals are that long term. Still, I do not think Facebook is unaware that they're not providing the service that people want, nor do I think they are unable to give people what they want. The one homogeneous network model happened to be the one that maximized revenue in the short term. With the gathering backlash against Facebook's usability and security, I think users have figured what Facebook probably already knows: Facebook isn't the service they need.