Sorry Google; you can Keep it to yourself • Hacker News Board

Re: Sorry Google; you can Keep it to yourself

#181

Post by joedevon » Thu, Mar 21, 2013, 8:56 AM UTC

yanw wrote: post #100

jcampbell1 wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How long to you have to be tired of hearing about it before you admit it is a PR mess? If the Google reader closing is mentioned in new Google product announcements a month from now, will you admit this was a PR disaster? How about a year from now? Google needs to grovel to get their hands around this. By admitting mistake, they can actually redirect the message to something positive. BTW, I agree with you completely…

Really, groveling? yeah if anyone mentions Reader in a month's time it will be an issue. It's not a main new story, and Google won't get anything back by reversing their decision, the damage is already done. Some people are being overly dramatic and hypersensitive, they'll realize that and they'll get over it, as always.

Forget about "Reader" per se. Given that Google has sunsetted so many products recently, would you bet a key part of your small business infrastructure on an Evernote-killer by Google, or would you prefer to pay a company for Evernote?

Re: Sorry Google; you can Keep it to yourself

#182

Post by hilko » Thu, Mar 21, 2013, 8:58 AM UTC

ryanhuff wrote: post #81

cpeterso wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The more Google [Now] knows about you, the better it can target you with ads.

The issue at hand is whether Google will later determine that the value gained from this new service is worth the cost. Google Reader allowed Google to collect a lot of incremental info on its users (what they were interested in reading) but wasn't worth the maintenance. Google likes to throw spaghetti on the wall and see if it sticks, despite how this strategy can negatively impact is users.

I always loved the strategy, and previously it didn't always bother me. When they cancelled Google/Gmail Labs, for example, I didn't like it, but I didn't care enough or rely on it enough to have a problem with it.

Perhaps they just had to learn the lesson that spaghetti that sticks is probably best left in place when it has a rabid fan-base.

Re: Sorry Google; you can Keep it to yourself

#183

Post by mtgx » Thu, Mar 21, 2013, 9:00 AM UTC

MatthewPhillips wrote: post #16

drivebyacct2 wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It ties into Google Now. It's already super convenient for me. Swipe up "Google, note to self, pick up milk". Now I have a TODO. Combine that with what Google already knows (that I leave work at 5 and drive within half a mile of a grocery store), think about the intelligence they could bring to my Todo list. (I know lots of people aren't going to like the privacy implications, my comment isn't meant to apologize or t…

How is Now strategic?

Google Now is the future of Google search.

Re: Sorry Google; you can Keep it to yourself

#184

Post by mtgx » Thu, Mar 21, 2013, 9:05 AM UTC

jseliger wrote: post #57

dudus wrote: post #12

Google Reader had an easy and clear migration path to export your data. I can't understand why people keep bashing Google for it. Just take your data to somewhere else. If tomorrow Keep goes away they'll do the same.

Google Reader had an easy and clear migration path to export your data. It's not just about the data: it's about the habits and familiarity surrounding the process of using the data. In RSS, I've been using NetNewsWire for years, even though it's basically abandon-ware and has really fallen behind. Why do I keep using it? Because it works okay, and when I've tried to switch—most recently to DevonTHINK PRO—I've gone b…

Plenty of businesses open and close much faster than Google Reader's life period. And many of them even ask you to pay for their stuff. And they still go bankrupt. Where's the outrage there, and how is this different, especially after using it for free for so many years. Google is not forced to offer a service for life because you "got used to it".

Re: Sorry Google; you can Keep it to yourself

#185

Post by mtgx » Thu, Mar 21, 2013, 9:06 AM UTC

diminish wrote: post #160

nickporter wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google Now is killer. The 'aha' moment for me was when I was visiting New York City: A few hours after my arrival, it told me that a favorite musician of mine was going to perform at a venue close to my location. I would have never known if I didn't have the service. I'm guessing they knew I liked that artist because of my youtube history (my phone doesn't contain any music). That's cool with me. Oh and if they want…

The turnoff switch for Reader is an inflection point for Google towards Microsoftization; where they new product launches will be skeptically seen by hackers, and geeks. I went to my phone, and did a Google spring cleanup yesterday, by deleting all the stuff I didn't use, and thought Google would see a future ; That is good for startups, they may attack Google product segments with ease, and we shall all PR for them…

And what happens if that start-up dies 3 years from now? Will there be a similar outrage for closing it down and pissing you off because "you got used to it"?

Re: Sorry Google; you can Keep it to yourself

#186

Post by Blahah » Thu, Mar 21, 2013, 9:12 AM UTC

mkr-hn wrote: post #69

creativityland wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We should all start using Google Plus more. Still don't understand why people won't make the switch.

There's not much to do on there. I see image memes that aren't interesting. I scroll down to find a "What's hot" box with some boring thing from the NRA. Why does Google think I want to see anything from the NRA? The rest is news and updates I already saw on Facebook, Twitter, and RSS feeds. This is with a few carefully curated circles. I culled a few people out for flooding me with uninteresting things, but G+ hasn'…

Google Plus came alive for me when I added a Fraser Cain's shared Science Circle: https://plus.google.com/110701307803962595019/posts/CcPsCorM... There are similarly interesting circles focused on technology, futurism, etc.

Re: Sorry Google; you can Keep it to yourself

#187

Post by Blahah » Thu, Mar 21, 2013, 9:14 AM UTC

agilord wrote: post #64

yanw wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Problem solved then. Other feed readers exist, so what's your point?!

There are other webmail providers, search engines and social networks too. What's your point?

Those haven't just been withdrawn. Google just opened up the feed aggregator space.

Re: Sorry Google; you can Keep it to yourself

#188

Post by MaysonL » Thu, Mar 21, 2013, 9:15 AM UTC

Draco6slayer wrote: post #50

I don't see how dropping one product == become untrustworthy. This is like if you went to the supermarket every day to buy milk, flour, sugar, beans, and lettuce. And then the supermarket realises that it is uneconomical for them to provide lettuce, so they drop it, but they do start selling eggs. And you look at those eggs and say 'Yeah, Right. I'm not going to buy those. I remember what happened to the lettuce.'

It's more like if Walmart opened one of its big stores in your small home town and drove almost all of the smaller retailers for miles around out of business and a few years later said "Oh, this location sucks." and closed up shop.

Re: Sorry Google; you can Keep it to yourself

#189

Post by Heliosmaster » Thu, Mar 21, 2013, 9:19 AM UTC

You are also welcome to stop using Google Search, Gmail (and contacts), Google Drive/Documents, Google+, Google Calendar, and YouTube, ...

Because, you know, they are from the same company responsbile for the demise of Google Reader, and the less you get DEPENDENT on them, the least you will suffer from the demise of another product as this.

Or you can move on.

Re: Sorry Google; you can Keep it to yourself

#190

Post by greyman » Thu, Mar 21, 2013, 9:24 AM UTC

dudus wrote: post #12

Google Reader had an easy and clear migration path to export your data. I can't understand why people keep bashing Google for it. Just take your data to somewhere else. If tomorrow Keep goes away they'll do the same.

I obviously can take my RSS feeds elsewhere, but: 1) That elsewhere doesn't sync with my iOS Reeder app 2) RSS Caching! Google Reader cached the feeds, so after subscribing I can see older items, which are not in the current state of the feed. That "elsewhere" doesn't necessary have such a feature (especially if it is a new service).