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Google+ Opens to All

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Re: Google+ Opens to All

#71

Post by ry0ohki »

ary wrote: post #64
kadabra9 wrote: post #19

Too late, guys. Facebook is already copying the features that make G+ cool/useful (circles, etc), and the one big, inherent advantage you had in your favor (Your user base, e.g every Google account) you alienated by keeping it "invite only" for too long. Either open it to everyone sooner, or hold off on this prolonged "invite period" so you don't risk confusing / alienating people that want to try G+ but can't. G+ fe…

It would be wise to note that G+ achieved 10 million+ users in a matter of weeks . Comparing Facebook and Google+ along similar time frames shows that Google+ is doing phenomenally well. The comparisons aren't really that important (to me at least). It's possible that these products can (and will) coexist . What is with the need to pronounce a winner as soon as possible? A product like Google+ is going to take a whil…

The rapid growth of Google Plus compared to Facebook isn't really a valid comparison. When you are the number one site on the Internet (probably #1 or #2 email provider too?) and you add a new black bar to every page letting people know about your service, it's no surprise you gain X million users overnight. I agree with your thoughts that it's too early to count G+ as a failure just yet, but something about their rollout did cause it to lose steam. Most of my Facebook friends are aware G+ exists now... they just don't know why they should check it in addition to Facebook. It's the same problem any future search competitor has to Google, you have to be an order of magnitude better for people to switch.

Re: Google+ Opens to All

#72

Post by willy1234x1 »

Maybe I'm just missing something but does anyone else here not give a flying fuck about the "real name fiasco"? What's so damn bad about using your real name? Can't be an internet tough guy when you have to use your real name? The most I think all Google should do is allow you to use a screen name for following purposes but still show your real name as well (kind of how Twitter has the screen name and name fields.)

Re: Google+ Opens to All

#73

Post by felixc »

blhack wrote: post #60
kadabra9 wrote: post #19

Too late, guys. Facebook is already copying the features that make G+ cool/useful (circles, etc), and the one big, inherent advantage you had in your favor (Your user base, e.g every Google account) you alienated by keeping it "invite only" for too long. Either open it to everyone sooner, or hold off on this prolonged "invite period" so you don't risk confusing / alienating people that want to try G+ but can't. G+ fe…

Google+ failed because they weren't fast enough at implementing ways to migrate my data from facebook. Facebook's API is very, very easy to crawl around. Why was there not an option within G+ to migrate all of my data (my pictures, my status updates, etc.) from facebook to google? Personally I ended up writing a set of tools to do this...but why did I have to? Google, what the hell? I mean...cool product, terrible im…

That particular ball may have been dropped in Facebook's (policy) court, not Google's.

Re: Google+ Opens to All

#74

Post by naner »

andrewcooke wrote: post #43
naner wrote: post #18

The whole "real names" fiasco[1] diminished my excitement for the platform. 1: http://www.zephoria.org/thoughts/archives/2011/08/04/real-na...

that's still not been fixed, has it?

They changed how they punish infringing accounts and then Schmidt said that they have to have real identities in order for planned future products built on top of Google+ to work.

Re: Google+ Opens to All

#75

Post by alecco »

nickknw wrote: post #61
ineedtosleep wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Overall, (and, forgive me, since I'm going relatively OT here) I've noticed a lot of hostility towards Google in every Google post. I've not been with HN for too long, so I don't know if this is what partially defines HN, but I'm starting to get irked by it.

To me it seems like HN comments have been getting more hostile in general. More often than not the topmost comments on a link now are pretty negative (in my subjective opinion).

There is a dark side to overly positive thinking. I'd settle for mostly positive with reservations and open discussion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5um8QWWRvo

Re: Google+ Opens to All

#76

Post by ary »

ry0ohki wrote: post #71
ary wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It would be wise to note that G+ achieved 10 million+ users in a matter of weeks . Comparing Facebook and Google+ along similar time frames shows that Google+ is doing phenomenally well. The comparisons aren't really that important (to me at least). It's possible that these products can (and will) coexist . What is with the need to pronounce a winner as soon as possible? A product like Google+ is going to take a whil…

The rapid growth of Google Plus compared to Facebook isn't really a valid comparison. When you are the number one site on the Internet (probably #1 or #2 email provider too?) and you add a new black bar to every page letting people know about your service, it's no surprise you gain X million users overnight. I agree with your thoughts that it's too early to count G+ as a failure just yet, but something about their ro…

We agree. Hence my statement:

> The comparisons aren't really that important (to me at least).

Re: Google+ Opens to All

#77

Post by ericd »

cryptoz wrote: post #57
xnxn wrote: post #41

I'm alarmed that the comments here are so bitter. Am I the only one who's had a positive experience with G+ so far? (Is my perception rose-tinted because I really, really want Facebook to die?) The new Hangout stuff is great, and the addition of screen sharing has now obviated my need to use Skype. Maybe when On Air opens up I'll be able to broadcast my programming sessions.

I love Google+. I have an Android phone and an Android tablet. I live in Google's world and I love it. I'm very excited to use the new Hangouts, too! However, my girlfriend has an Apps account. So our online lives are now totally separate - I don't see anything she posts on Facebook and she doesn't see anything I post on G+. And that's where a lot of the bitter comes from. Google's built an amazing product that many…

I dunno, I think most of those are hot air from a relatively small number of outspoken people. Not letting me just get everyone I care about onboard in my initial flurry of enthusiasm was probably a blunder, though. Hopefully everyone will get onboard in the initial excitement of my other friends.

Re: Google+ Opens to All

#78

Post by ajross »

xnxn wrote: post #41

I'm alarmed that the comments here are so bitter. Am I the only one who's had a positive experience with G+ so far? (Is my perception rose-tinted because I really, really want Facebook to die?) The new Hangout stuff is great, and the addition of screen sharing has now obviated my need to use Skype. Maybe when On Air opens up I'll be able to broadcast my programming sessions.

Agreed. The bandwagoning at hacker news has always been bad, but it seems to have gotten much worse over the last year or two. Some of it may just be sampling error: the rise of Android has made Google the "bad guy" to a lot of the Apple nuts here (and likewise some of Apple's recent actions have turned off the free software and civil liberties people), so we're noticing it because it's splitting the community.

Re: Google+ Opens to All

#79

Post by saraid216 »

xnxn wrote: post #41

I'm alarmed that the comments here are so bitter. Am I the only one who's had a positive experience with G+ so far? (Is my perception rose-tinted because I really, really want Facebook to die?) The new Hangout stuff is great, and the addition of screen sharing has now obviated my need to use Skype. Maybe when On Air opens up I'll be able to broadcast my programming sessions.

Just chiming in to say that I've had a thoroughly positive experience my own self. I always felt Hangouts was a more meaningful difference than Circles (though the broadcast model worked wonders: I circle interesting people and I'm not required to circle people back). The ability to open up your video to a couple of friends (or a hundred, as some of my friends do) is rather nice for saying hi randomly.

I'm looking forward to using G+ Hangouts on my phone.

Re: Google+ Opens to All

#80

Post by Kylekramer »

The fact that dozens of comments think 90 days is too long for a service to be invite only shows we are really in a instant gratification news bubble here. 90 days! People act like we are talking about Chinese Democracy or Duke Nukem Forever here (not to mention that for about 80 of those days getting in was merely a five minute search process for anyone who really cared).

The majority of comments here are about too long of an invite window, nymwars, and Google Apps. While I appreciate those are important issues for people, acting like they are going to kill Google+ is extremely shortsighted and uninteresting. They are about as much of a factor in Google+'s success as the quality of the concession stands at Fenway to the Red Sox's success.

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