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Google to Launch Major New Social Network Called Circles, Possibly Today

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Re: Google to Launch Major New Social Network Called Circles, Possibly Today

#41

Post by chanon »

Facebook can already do this and it's called 'Lists'. (Account/Edit Friends/Create a List). You just put your friends in 'Lists', and then each time you want to post something but show or hide it from certain Lists you can click on the padlock icon and choose 'custom - edit' and type in the name of the List before posting. This applies to both wall posts and photo albums.

Problem is I guess the average Facebook user doesn't even know about the capability. Google may come up with an easier to use UI for this, but Facebook can just improve their UI and give more weight to this feature in it.

Unless Google has a completely new model that Facebook finds incompatible to their model then this is just a 'feature'.

Re: Google to Launch Major New Social Network Called Circles, Possibly Today

#42

Post by dstein »

lachyg wrote: post #2

I think a social network that has the ability for friend groups / circles is way over due. Will be interested to see this!

It's a feature that can be worked into Facebook in ways that will be far superior to starting a whole new social network. Google is fighting a losing battle here because they seem convinced that people want a clone of Facebook with a few extra features. And it's just not true.

Re: Google to Launch Major New Social Network Called Circles, Possibly Today

#43

Post by elvirs »

Google has already shown that it does not get social. Google Docs, Youtube, Picasa Web Albums, etc. have huge social potential but Google failed to leverage that.

Attempts with Buzz, Connect and Wave are examples where Google tried too hard but failed.

If they fail this time too, Google should stop spending huge budgets trying to built something internally and invest in new emerging disruptive startups that want to storm the social thing.

Re: Google to Launch Major New Social Network Called Circles, Possibly Today

#44

Post by markkat »

lachyg wrote: post #2

I think a social network that has the ability for friend groups / circles is way over due. Will be interested to see this!

This I could get into. I've never had a FB account, but if I can really maintain walls between spheres of contacts, I will be giving circles a try.

Gmail integration wouldn't hurt either.

Re: Google to Launch Major New Social Network Called Circles, Possibly Today

#45

Post by camdykeman »

lachyg wrote: post #2

I think a social network that has the ability for friend groups / circles is way over due. Will be interested to see this!

One problem i could see though is that limiting your sharing to only certain social circles might be too limited for some people. The other day my roommate was upset that I couldn't see some of the pictures he'd been tagged in on FB because I wasn't already friends with the owner of the picture. People like being able to show off their pictures to others and sometimes it seems people want everyone to see a picture, whether theyre friends or not. If sharing rules are too strict they might run themselves out of business. On the other hand, i suppose Facebook is a virtual generator for privacy issues...maybe Google is on to something. I think its far too early to call it either way.

Re: Google to Launch Major New Social Network Called Circles, Possibly Today

#46

Post by praptak »

Hmm... if they leverage what they have (search), they might give Facebook a run for their money. I'd definitely like my search results filtered by what my friends like. And even more by what they dislike (die, search-engine-optimizing crap farmers, die!)

Re: Google to Launch Major New Social Network Called Circles, Possibly Today

#47

Post by mark_l_watson »

I like the idea of having different circles or trust: different circles for family, for different groups of friends, different customers.

That said, trust issues: I still miss Wave (yeah, it is still running but for how long; also the Apache Wave in a Box project seems to be moving slowly). Just for PR value, I think that Wave should be supported in maintenance only mode.

Re: Google to Launch Major New Social Network Called Circles, Possibly Today

#48

Post by bvi »

kj12345 wrote: post #16
lachyg wrote: post #2

I think a social network that has the ability for friend groups / circles is way over due. Will be interested to see this!

Yes, the name "Circles" is awesome. It's agressive and appealing when seen from the perspective of "what do you offer that's better than Facebook", but also generically pleasant if you just encountered it as a product.

I'm positive it'll just be a matter of time before "Sphere" rolls out.

Re: Google to Launch Major New Social Network Called Circles, Possibly Today

#50

Post by nopassrecover »

karterk wrote: post #18
nopassrecover wrote: post #15

Sounds a lot like an idea I was considering, until I saw BrainTrust.io had already attacked it and The Fridge (YC S10) had followed up. The problem for someone like Google, as I see it, is "competitive advantage" boils down to "it's like Facebook except you can share stuff just with certain groups". Except, Facebook already has groups.

Facebook groups seems to me like an after thought. On the other hand if Google builds something which has the privacy and groups built right into the core, it will make a different experience. Whatever it is, they certainly have the reach which other start-ups like The Fridge might not have.

Agreed that they seem an after thought, but with the talent they are acquiring and the resources at their disposal, I can't see anyone beating Facebook on a features basis. They might on a privacy basis, but I'm not sure Google has a lot more confidence in that respect than Facebook.
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