Why Google+ Still Has Huge Potential
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Why Google+ Still Has Huge Potential
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Re: Why Google+ Still Has Huge Potential
#2G+ has huge potential because it's Google's identity layer, the discrete social network thing is a byproduct.
Re: Why Google+ Still Has Huge Potential
#3When Google+ came out I was blown away by just how well designed it was, but then slowly Google ruined it. Andy Hertzfeld created an amazing product, but then Google worked their "magic" just like they did with Blogger and watered down every strong feature like circles.
The problem at the end of the day is that Google just doesn't understand "normal people". If you read up on their corporate culture they're filled with former gifted Montessori kids who make amazing engineers, but the dark side is that they may have a low social IQ. In fact Google goes out of its way to not have to interface with people: Have a problem with a Google product? Well good luck if you want to talk to a human.
So yes Google+ has amazing potential; but not with the Google management team. I'm sure over time if they're lucky they can turn it into Pepsi to Facebook's Coke -- but that's only if they figure out how to focus. And if you want to see their latest failure just try using their mobile app: When put next to Facebook it's terrible, and when put next to Instagram (now owned by facebook) it looks like student project.
And I say this as someone who loves and uses G+ every day!!!
Re: Why Google+ Still Has Huge Potential
#4When Google+ came out I was blown away by just how well designed it was, but then slowly Google ruined it. Andy Hertzfeld created an amazing product, but then Google worked their "magic" just like they did with Blogger and watered down every strong feature like circles. The problem at the end of the day is that Google just doesn't understand "normal people". If you read up on their corporate culture they're filled wi…
> When Google+ came out I was blown away by just how well designed it was, but then slowly Google ruined it. Andy Hertzfeld created an amazing product, but then Google worked their "magic" just like they did with Blogger and watered down every strong feature like circles.
How have they ruined circles? They work the same as they did on day one as far as I can tell.
> In fact Google goes out of its way to not have to interface with people: Have a problem with a Google product? Well good luck if you want to talk to a human.
Let's not confuse two separate issues. Social IQ has no relevance to their customer support. Their customer support is non-existant for free products because doing support at their scale is nearly impossible. And while I'm not familiar with their support for paid products overall, I've had a decent experience dealing with Play support when I purchased my Nexus 7. Anyways, point being that the engineers were never going to be customer support in the first place.
> And if you want to see their latest failure just try using their mobile app: When put next to Facebook it's terrible, and when put next to Instagram (now owned by facebook) it looks like student project.
First off: which platform? Because on Android, G+ far outstrips Facebook's generally terrible mobile app. I've also seen some pretty positive reviews of the iOS app, but I have no direct experience with it.
Re: Why Google+ Still Has Huge Potential
#5When Google+ came out I was blown away by just how well designed it was, but then slowly Google ruined it. Andy Hertzfeld created an amazing product, but then Google worked their "magic" just like they did with Blogger and watered down every strong feature like circles. The problem at the end of the day is that Google just doesn't understand "normal people". If you read up on their corporate culture they're filled wi…
Does Facebook offer extensive human tech support?
Re: Why Google+ Still Has Huge Potential
#6When Google+ came out I was blown away by just how well designed it was, but then slowly Google ruined it. Andy Hertzfeld created an amazing product, but then Google worked their "magic" just like they did with Blogger and watered down every strong feature like circles. The problem at the end of the day is that Google just doesn't understand "normal people". If you read up on their corporate culture they're filled wi…
> When Google+ came out I was blown away by just how well designed it was, but then slowly Google ruined it. Andy Hertzfeld created an amazing product, but then Google worked their "magic" just like they did with Blogger and watered down every strong feature like circles. How have they ruined circles? They work the same as they did on day one as far as I can tell. > In fact Google goes out of its way to not have to i…
1. Circles: They did a redesign at one point where you can browse specific circles by clicking on well hidden buttons buttons at the top. Of course the buttons don't stay there, so you have to keep clicking. Facebook displays everything on the left nav so it's easy to see their version of circles — and having wasted too much time on both sites i can tell you that in terms of functionality (not ascetics) Facebook wins.
2. "Their customer support is non-existant" This works great for search, but not for every other product they offer. Also it's not great if you're a professional who is using a product. But what kills me is if you are a top brand they do the hand holding, but if you're not in that league well good luck with that! So this sort of blindness reflects a low social IQ. I'll grant you that they aren't the only ones guilty of this, and in fact maybe amazon first invented this approach (but they've learned and have purchased companies like zappos that get it).
3. I'm on iOS looking at my iPhone and the Facebook app is better than G+: Of course Instagram blows them both away. If you forced me to hand out grades it would be: G+ with a C-, Facebook with a B- to B and Instagram with a A. Of course Instagram was designed to be mobile so maybe they cheated? Now I'll grant you that the G+ app looks the most pretty, but it's a pain to use.
But keep in mind I'm ranting because how much I loved the original G+ — if they had a wayback machine setting all would be forgiven.
Re: Why Google+ Still Has Huge Potential
#7Earlier quoted context omitted.
> When Google+ came out I was blown away by just how well designed it was, but then slowly Google ruined it. Andy Hertzfeld created an amazing product, but then Google worked their "magic" just like they did with Blogger and watered down every strong feature like circles. How have they ruined circles? They work the same as they did on day one as far as I can tell. > In fact Google goes out of its way to not have to i…
1. Circles: They did a redesign at one point where you can browse specific circles by clicking on well hidden buttons buttons at the top. Of course the buttons don't stay there, so you have to keep clicking. Facebook displays everything on the left nav so it's easy to see their version of circles — and having wasted too much time on both sites i can tell you that in terms of functionality (not ascetics) Facebook wins…
1. Really the question I should've asked here was for example where their strong features got watered down. I'm less interested in the specifics, but as far as I can tell, the webapp has gotten better over time, not worse. As for the circles thing, are you talking about seeing the contents of the circle themselves, or the posts shared with you by the people in that circle? If the first, on the left hand side there's a button for circles. If the second, on the home page at the top is your list of circles, just click on the one you want to see. So I guess I'm not really seeing what you're complaining about.
2. Are you using one of their free products or paid? If you're using Google Apps for Businesses, for example, there are support phone numbers to call.
3. That's too bad then. The Android app certainly has problems, but overall is pretty good.
Re: Why Google+ Still Has Huge Potential
#8When Google+ came out I was blown away by just how well designed it was, but then slowly Google ruined it. Andy Hertzfeld created an amazing product, but then Google worked their "magic" just like they did with Blogger and watered down every strong feature like circles. The problem at the end of the day is that Google just doesn't understand "normal people". If you read up on their corporate culture they're filled wi…
Does Facebook offer extensive human tech support?
Nope[1], nor reasonably could they. The cost of doing tech support for 1 billion people is just massive.
Re: Why Google+ Still Has Huge Potential
#9Earlier quoted context omitted.
1. Circles: They did a redesign at one point where you can browse specific circles by clicking on well hidden buttons buttons at the top. Of course the buttons don't stay there, so you have to keep clicking. Facebook displays everything on the left nav so it's easy to see their version of circles — and having wasted too much time on both sites i can tell you that in terms of functionality (not ascetics) Facebook wins…
1. Really the question I should've asked here was for example where their strong features got watered down. I'm less interested in the specifics, but as far as I can tell, the webapp has gotten better over time, not worse. As for the circles thing, are you talking about seeing the contents of the circle themselves, or the posts shared with you by the people in that circle? If the first, on the left hand side there's…
1. I come from a design background so I'd need to look at a working version of the original G+ to give you a proper answer. Sadly at the time I didn't take screenshots for my own reference (and I wish I did!!!!!).
2. This is based on my experience over the years with a number of products. My most recent issue was being a publisher and having an issue with AdSense -- so I was making them money, had an issue and couldn't reach a human. Yes if I was a bigger fish that wouldn't have been an issue, but then again big fish don't use AdSense.
3. I guess to be fair they should make the Android app better than the iOS one -- and maybe to be even more fair I'm lucky as an iOS user that they have a G+ app at all. And maybe looking at Instagram one might argue that a good mobile social network needs to be mobile first, and that it's super hard to go from the web to mobile.
Re: Why Google+ Still Has Huge Potential
#10Don't hit me.
I visit G+ if
- some post here links to it (seriously, I have more or less no other source that points to that stuff, and_very_ rarely a search hit leads that way)
- I check, in vain usually, on the progress of a CM port for my LG crapphone, because the amazing guy behind most LG ports uses that site. I have a bookmark for his.. uhm.. posts? timeline? feed?
People in my non technical and environment don't know what G+ is. People in my geek community left it because it's worse than Facebook in trying to build 'identities'. I'm always surprised to see real world usage and will continue to be a skeptical observer. That huge potential might certainly exist, but I fail to see it.