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Introducing Google Helpouts

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Re: Introducing Google Helpouts

#91

Post by _ea1k »

mistermann wrote: post #84
swombat wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem is not a history of killing failed product, it's a history of killing products that everyone is actually using, without giving it as much of a chance as a company of Google's resources might be expected to, for political reasons rather than practical reasons. As a couple of good examples: Google Wave was created to give the Rasmussen brothers (creators of Google Maps) something high-profile to do. Then it…

Did anyone continue to run with the Google Wave idea? I'd be interested in using a tool like that, it showed a lot of promise.

Apache Wave (I believe the intial code was contributed by Google): http://incubator.apache.org/wave/source-code.html

I don't think it has gained much traction, though.

Re: Introducing Google Helpouts

#92

Post by ChikkaChiChi »

Veus wrote: post #88
swombat wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem is not a history of killing failed product, it's a history of killing products that everyone is actually using, without giving it as much of a chance as a company of Google's resources might be expected to, for political reasons rather than practical reasons. As a couple of good examples: Google Wave was created to give the Rasmussen brothers (creators of Google Maps) something high-profile to do. Then it…

Also outside of HN/geek how many people REALLY used Reader? I bet you its less than 0.1% of the overall Google users. I would have done exactly the same in Google's position. If a feature had been built that only 0.1% of users are using yet is taking up time to run, why keep it?

Several million people who use Android had downloaded Google Reader.

Re: Introducing Google Helpouts

#93

Post by ChikkaChiChi »

Google's biggest enemy will continue to be themselves. If they are unable to promote and market this save for a few blog postings (as is their want to so often do) then it will die on the vine...just like so many other projects of theirs they can.

Re: Introducing Google Helpouts

#94

Post by imnoexpertbut »

ChikkaChiChi wrote: post #92
Veus wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also outside of HN/geek how many people REALLY used Reader? I bet you its less than 0.1% of the overall Google users. I would have done exactly the same in Google's position. If a feature had been built that only 0.1% of users are using yet is taking up time to run, why keep it?

Several million people who use Android had downloaded Google Reader.

Google Reader was the best RSS viewer for me.

Re: Introducing Google Helpouts

#95

Post by gz5 »

I signed up in the beta, mainly to learn how Google is approaching this. Observations:

+ High degree of curation and investment in quality + High investment of people to achieve the above

For example, I did a live video interview with a knowledgeable Google rep and she had several recommendations. About a week later, my submission was reviewed again, with even more (good) recommendations.

Re: Introducing Google Helpouts

#96

Post by k-mcgrady »

ChikkaChiChi wrote: post #92
Veus wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also outside of HN/geek how many people REALLY used Reader? I bet you its less than 0.1% of the overall Google users. I would have done exactly the same in Google's position. If a feature had been built that only 0.1% of users are using yet is taking up time to run, why keep it?

Several million people who use Android had downloaded Google Reader.

>> "Several million people who use Android had downloaded Google Reader."

That says nothing about usage though. I downloaded a lot of Google apps when I first got an Android device. Most of them I opened once and never again. I think this experience is common with apps.

Re: Introducing Google Helpouts

#97

Post by tayk »

ilaksh wrote: post #19
xb95 wrote: post #2

This would help with the times I've just wanted to ask someone "so, does this shirt actually go with these pants, or am I totally crazy?" All joking aside, this could be interesting. It makes me think of that service that existed for a while where you could ask a question of a topic area, and it would send an IM to people and ask them to answer it. I forget what it was called, but I used it for a little while. The pa…

There are other services like that. I think JustAnswer is one of them.

Wizpert (http://wizpert.com) is one as well.

Re: Introducing Google Helpouts

#98

Post by fpp »

Anybody looked at the pricing of some of the services offered - e.g. end user:

help with your printer - $45 per help - $2 per minute (guess that will always be more than the printer was actually retailing for)

General computer help $10 (per incident) $2 per minute

maybe contact your printer / computer support team first - many today have online / real-time chat features now for free.

Re: Introducing Google Helpouts

#99

Post by VikingCoder »

swombat wrote: post #77
cromwellian wrote: post #40

Reader derangement syndrome strikes again. Summarizing the thread, if you're are an early adopter of anything, you run the risk it won't be here in a year. That's what we tolerate in the tech arena, start ups throwing lots of good and dumb ideas at the wall to see what sticks, evolution in action. How many people who built their business on Facebook's F8 platform went belly up due to changes? Google is a company that…

The problem is not a history of killing failed product, it's a history of killing products that everyone is actually using, without giving it as much of a chance as a company of Google's resources might be expected to, for political reasons rather than practical reasons. As a couple of good examples: Google Wave was created to give the Rasmussen brothers (creators of Google Maps) something high-profile to do. Then it…

"history of killing products that everyone is actually using"

That's true for amazingly small values of "everyone." It may include you, several people you know, and other people in your line of work, but that's not remotely the same thing.

Re: Introducing Google Helpouts

#100

Post by redblacktree »

mistermann wrote: post #86
GFischer wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's usually not "high-value doctors". Here in Uruguay, the lowest rung of doctors (which are the ones you get on call) are paid about U$ 1500/month. And they did at least 7 years of studies (which are tuition-free in Uruguay). A lot of them are emigrating to Brazil of course.

> they did at least 7 years of studies (which are tuition-free in Uruguay). It's not their wage that is important, it is the value of their skills and time. If two people must meet face to face, it is most efficient use of resources to have the least skilled person spend their time traveling.

So if I'm say, a top-tier nuclear physicist, the doc should come to me? Who makes the determination?
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