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Google Reveals Its Stealth Social Project, Google+

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Re: Google Reveals Its Stealth Social Project, Google+

#331

Post by FlowerPower »

jamesaguilar wrote: post #260
DrCatbox wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I distrust Facebook so much that I dont have a news feed, I dont have a way to share my pictures (because who wants to share 1024x768 resolution pictures with their friends? ffs why do I then have a 15mp camera?) and I have skype to chat with friends. Google+ is refreshing, it shows social networking can be better.

> because who wants to share 1024x768 resolution pictures with their friends? ffs why do I then have a 15mp camera? Hundreds of millions of people, apparently. Anyway, you can download the high res image nowadays via the link below the picture.

I too noticed that people don't seem to care about their picture resolutions, or perhaps they just do not know about it, they dont see resolutions. The hundreds of millions see pictures.

Re: Google Reveals Its Stealth Social Project, Google+

#332

Post by revorad »

akkartik wrote: post #324
ern wrote: post #323

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why not group your friends, and restrict your posts by default to people you actually care about? The rest won't be aware they are even being filtered.

That's essentially what Google+ does. Twitter isn't designed for posting to different audiences, and Facebook won't let me show certain posts of my wall to certain people but not others.

Facebook does allow you to do that. It takes a bit of work to filter people out individually or put them in groups, or "circles" if you like. For example, some of my friends are excluded from all my facebook posts as a group by default. I include them only when I want to.

I think Google+'s problem might be that it takes too much work to curate circles. Most people might just settle for Facebook because you don't have to think!

Re: Google Reveals Its Stealth Social Project, Google+

#333

Post by greyman »

DrCatbox wrote: post #127
joeguilmette wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

i just got an invite and am instantly bored. i already have a news feed, i already have a way to share pictures, i already have a place to share links and i already have a way to chat with friends. on the + side (hah! get it??), the ui looks nice, so hopefully this means google with start paying more attention to the look and feel of their applications.

I distrust Facebook so much that I dont have a news feed, I dont have a way to share my pictures (because who wants to share 1024x768 resolution pictures with their friends? ffs why do I then have a 15mp camera?) and I have skype to chat with friends. Google+ is refreshing, it shows social networking can be better.

Hm...what's wrong with sharing 1024x768 resolution pictures with friends?

Re: Google Reveals Its Stealth Social Project, Google+

#334

Post by xedarius »

I feel like Facebook was a trial, and we all learnt a lot about social networking, we've all made mistakes and it would be nice to re-create your network with hinessight from scratch. This is perfect timing by Google, with Facebook on the edge of an IPO and people largely disillusioned by their service. As long as they 100% lock down the privacy options, get that wrong and it's a waste of time.

Re: Google Reveals Its Stealth Social Project, Google+

#335

Post by DanBlake »

cft wrote: post #330
ernestipark wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was sure that something like this already existed, but the fact that it's embedded within a social network and is a service by Google makes it a whole lot more appealing.

Tinychat is relatively small (check Alexa rank). If embedding it into a social network turns out to make such a big difference, be sure FB will add it, like they incorporated many novel features of Twitter.

Not sure why you think tinychat is small- Its over 10m uniques a month and a top 600 site in the USA - http://www.quantcast.com/tinychat.com

It also is embedded in facebook- where its the biggest video chat app, nearly 10m fb users.

Re: Google Reveals Its Stealth Social Project, Google+

#337

Post by lwhi »

kristiandupont wrote: post #96

This is exciting and all -- and much as I would love to see a serious competitor to Facebook, I still don't know how I would convince any of my non-techie friends that they should switch to this. Circles? Actually I think that many people like the idea of their posts are being read by as many people as possible and not just the ones with similar interests. Although it looks like a big discussion group, the news feed…

"Still, it bothers me when it says "logged in" in the google bar at the top because google watches my searches."

I think Facebook does the same - or at least attempts to, through the use of cookies (via embedded apps, and the Facebook comment system).

--

I think it's about time Facebook had some serious competition - and I'm hoping that Google+ could provide a good alternative.

In relation to the Myspace, Facebook provided an iterative progression. Since its introduction, social networking has obviously become so much more important. I think it's far more difficult for Facebook to iteratively change the paradigm its developed because its users aren't used to change. User re-education is difficult.

From what I've read, Google+ is going to offer some valuable features missing from Facebook. The circle idea appeals a lot - and I like the sense that the platform seems to be geared as one tool in a suite of social utilities, rather than an all encompassing monolith.

--

"Circles? Actually I think that many people like the idea of their posts are being read by as many people as possible and not just the ones with similar interests [..]"

I don't agree - some people might want everyone to read their posts, but I think that's a small subset of the general population.

Re. your example; on the flip-side, I think an awful lot of the non-techies will quickly get bored of hearing about about Android API woes. Circles will provide them with a way to choose, and choice is something which is almost universally lauded.

Re: Google Reveals Its Stealth Social Project, Google+

#338

Post by dspillett »

dazonic wrote: post #312
reso wrote: post #232

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think Facebook's biggest failure is that they've never educated people on how to use Facebook well, and honestly, they have likely inadvertently encouraged bad practices with their emphasis on growth. For example, why do you have friends on FB you barely know in reality? You should only have your genuine friends on Facebook. This simple rule solves the "annoying status update from someone I don't care about" proble…

They used to strongly discourage adding non-friends. I remember when adding people you had to enter something for "How did you meet this person?" and if you checked "I don't know them", it would close the box and say "Well why are you adding them?"

That sort of thing goes out when advertising and paying for games and such via the system come in. People having many connections means that if someone lets you app in or "likes" the page directed to by your ad then you get a change to advertise to all those people on that one person's list of contacts. This is attractive to the advertisers, and makes paying money to facebook a better value proposition.

Facebook want you to be connected to as many people as possible because this network of connections is essentially what they sell. Just like Google, with facebook you are the product that is sold to the advertisers (the difference being that currently with facebook your friends are the product too, though that difference is set to vanish if Google can get the social thing right enough to attract a critical mass of users).

Re: Google Reveals Its Stealth Social Project, Google+

#339

Post by danssig »

jm4 wrote: post #149
kristiandupont wrote: post #96

This is exciting and all -- and much as I would love to see a serious competitor to Facebook, I still don't know how I would convince any of my non-techie friends that they should switch to this. Circles? Actually I think that many people like the idea of their posts are being read by as many people as possible and not just the ones with similar interests. Although it looks like a big discussion group, the news feed…

Still, it bothers me when it says "logged in" in the google bar at the top because google watches my searches. When I am on facebook I behave like I am in public. I don't hope for the best and write secret stuff anywhere. But with all the google searches I make through a day, I am giving google a lot of very personal information that I would not like anyone to see. I would hate to see something that I was searching f…

>I really wish someone else had created this.

I'm with you. If anyone but Google had made this I would be ecstatic. Heck, even MS.

Re: Google Reveals Its Stealth Social Project, Google+

#340

Post by danssig »

Meai wrote: post #152
kristiandupont wrote: post #96

This is exciting and all -- and much as I would love to see a serious competitor to Facebook, I still don't know how I would convince any of my non-techie friends that they should switch to this. Circles? Actually I think that many people like the idea of their posts are being read by as many people as possible and not just the ones with similar interests. Although it looks like a big discussion group, the news feed…

Google is in no way targeting people who are happy with Facebook. Neither do they need to compete with Facebook. They are enhancing their existing products very intelligently across the board. Mass adoption isn't necessary, that will come over time with people using more heavily integrated Google software. Eventually they'll get everyone, via mobile / Google Mail / Google Docs / Google Search or some other venue. Fac…

It's too early in the morning for this kind of doom and gloom.
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