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Introducing Google Helpouts

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Re: Introducing Google Helpouts

#81

Post by grey-area »

vvvVVVvvv wrote: post #76
grey-area wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, Reader was closed just eight years after it launched. I didn't even had time to import all my feeds. The issue is how easily these services can be closed, not how long they last, in fact if they last longer it's worse for the users involved if they are suddenly shut down. Now free services for life doesn't seem like such a good deal, because the terms are that they owe you nothing and life may equal 2 months, 1…

>Building on top of these platforms [...] Relying on an other business (platform, as a customer, [...]) for more than 25% (33, 50 your call)of your revenue is risky no matter the industry. Relying a 100% is stupid.

Relying... 100% is stupid.

And yet this is what FaceBook, Twitter, Google, Apple and many other web and OS corporations are encouraging people to do - build on top of their platform (be that FB apps, Twitter API, iOS/Android apps or web apps relying on a single-signon). They all want to own the platform which everyone builds and consumes on, and turn everyone else into sharecroppers.

With this particular service, it might be really great for connecting people to provide each other services, but as it also relies on Google+ (which, for example, people have been arbitrarily shut out of), and is provided by Google of Reader infame, is it worth an investment of time or resources? Perhaps as an adjunct to other services, but I'd be wary of depending on it in any meaningful way, as you say.

That may sound like common sense, but see the examples given above of platforms which try to push both consumers and developers into reliance on one tech company for essential parts of their online identity (professional and personal).

Re: Introducing Google Helpouts

#82

Post by jroseattle »

The idea of a marketplace for experts is intriguing. I can't imagine this will ever work well, though.

- Google is presently curating this list, approving everyone who would be a provider. This is fine for launch, but this obviously needs to scale.

- From a functional standpoint, this is the Human App Store. How do I, the provider, promote myself among thousands of search results for underwater-basket-weaving experts?

- Race to the bottom: I don't associate Google with any sort of premium pricing model. If I think my services are worth more than the low-cost providers, but I'm one of a thousand providers, am I going to have to go the only other route Google tends to provide -- paid advertising placement?

The idea is interesting, but I don't think Google will ever position it to be helpful to anyone but users and themselves.

Re: Introducing Google Helpouts

#83

Post by cma »

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…

Wave was really laggy and required a special chrome frame plugin to run in IE. It was laggy even in chrome.

Re: Introducing Google Helpouts

#84

Post by mistermann »

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…

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.

Re: Introducing Google Helpouts

#85

Post by Flenser »

icebraining wrote: post #54
grey-area wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Failure is an acceptable risk to move forward. It's certainly an acceptable risk for Google and other companies like FB - the short-term cost of innovation for Google is pretty close to zero. The long-term cost of reputation is perhaps something they're only now starting to realise. Whether it's an acceptable risk for the users of these services is up to them, and many of them are deciding it is not, because these se…

Whether it's an acceptable risk for the users of these services is up to them, and many of them are deciding it is not, because these services can be so easily closed Yeah, Reader was closed just eight years after it launched. I didn't even had time to import all my feeds.

I'm glad I was able to use it for those 8 years. Not bad for a free service.

Re: Introducing Google Helpouts

#86

Post by mistermann »

GFischer wrote: post #78
enko wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While I'm by no means a fan of the US health care system, it seems pretty wasteful for high-value doctors to be wasting their precious time travelling to see patients. Perhaps videoconferencing could be a good option for simple cases (viagra, sleeping pills) while a medical pick-up system could be instituted for patients requiring in-person consultations, but lacking mobility or the urgency required for an ambulance.

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.

Re: Introducing Google Helpouts

#88

Post by Veus »

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…

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?

Re: Introducing Google Helpouts

#89

Post by SimpleXYZ »

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…

I used igoogle to load a gmail iframe on my (insanely awesome) custom start page. It really sucks they shut that down.

I was also using the Google Toolbar (do not consume) spelling auto-correct "API". I was doing some really neat stuff with that technology and they shut that down too. Sure, I can't really complain about that one, but the end result is the same...

If you adopt Google technology, prepare for labor intensive migrations, alternative scrambling, and disappointments.

Re: Introducing Google Helpouts

#90

Post by myko »

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.

Yes, Apache:

http://incubator.apache.org/wave/

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