Google has announced its latest so-called Facebook killer competitor, this one called Google+. Google has tried to have a social media presence before with Orkut and Buzz, each of which failed to take off (at least with U.S. users; apparently Orkut is huge in Brazil and India). Orkut has a lousy feature set and Buzz launched with all sorts of privacy issues that killed it before it could ever gain traction. Google has spent a little more than a year trying to learn from its mistakes and has probably has very high hopes for Google+. But the real question is, will anyone who isn’t an über-geek or Google zealot care about the service?
Does Anyone Need Another Social Network?
I ask you, do you (or anyone else you know for that matter) have a felt need for another social network in your life? No, I didn’t think so. It seems like every denizen of the Internet is already on Facebook. which rose to prominence because it was able to outperform the MySpace experience in spite of the fact it offered more or less the same experience. Twitter is a powerhouse in its own right. Twitter was able to establish its footing because it’s a dramatically different kind of networking platform than Facebook.
While there are far more people who have a Facebook account who don’t have a Twitter account, there is a growing number of people for which the opposite is true (three such people whom I follow on Twitter are @patrickgines, @shawnblanc, and @BenjaminBrooks) precisely because they prefer its unique utility. So, assuming you already have an account with one of the big two, do you have a felt need to find a superior networking experience? Perhaps, but I think that’s still a big stretch.
I think most younger Internet users and some older Internet users have the capacity (though not necessarily the desire) to manage two social network presences successfully. But I tend to think three is simply too many for most. [Update: I had one reader comment that so-called "older" Internet users might be more likely to also use LinkedIn, which I classify as a niche network but which others may consider a major player.] So, as I see it, Google+ will only be successful if:
- It has a “killer feature,” something so significant not offered by Facebook or Twitter that it gives the typical Internet user a reason to use an additional social network
- It creates an overall unique or more compelling networking experience, so much so that it leads to typical Internet users choosing it over their current social network of choice (or one of them)
I don’t believe a rehash of Facebook or Twitter will lead to success, even if elements of Google+ truly are better than one or both of the primary alternatives. Facebook’s ability to crush MySpace in that manner took place before any social network had a polished feature set. The only way I see this manner of success occurring for Google+ is if Facebook or Twitter makes a huge mistake, probably over a privacy gaffe.
When it’s all said and done, the deck might simply be stacked against Google. Gina Trapani, founding editor of Lifehacker retweeted an interesting thought by Jason Kottke:
Has any large company ever launched a successful & compelling social product?
— Jason Kottke (@jkottke) June 28, 2011
What is the Google+ Killer Feature?
There might be two: Huddle, a group texting feature for smartphone users to communicate with specific groups of people (called Circles), and Hangouts, a group video chat feature. Watch the videos below for a demo of each.
Watch on YouTube: The Google+ project: Huddle
Watch on YouTube: The Google+ project: Hangouts
Google has posted a playlist of videos about Google+ on YouTube with a total of eleven videos (at time of writing).
Is the Google+ Networking Experience Truly Unique?
The two features mentioned above are unique, but I’m not sure they’re enticing enough to prompt wide adoption by the typical Internet user. But you never know. I certainly have Facebook fatigue, and maybe there are more Facebook users like me than I realize. Maybe xkcd is right:
Will I Use Google+?
Well, I’ll join, but then again I’m an über-geek. I’m the guy who has (but never uses) accounts on Orkut and Buzz. But will anyone else use it? I can only see myself using Google+ if my close friends decide to give it a try, and I’m just not sure how many of them will.
What About You?
What do you think? Will you join and use Google+?
I'm like you in the sense that I am tired of Facebook. I want a social site that fits my life and Facebook doesn't do that anymore. Early on, I set up several groups of "friends" to make sure only those I wanted to see things could. This functioned very similar to what Circles is offering within Google+. The difference, however, is that Google+ makes the process a lot easier.
I too have been on Buzz and almost every other Google beta project. As you said, in order for me to transfer off of Facebook entirely, my friends would have to join and actively participate.
So aaron and I want to know if we can be in your epic bro circle?