Google: The Kenny Loggins of "Social"
So Google does "social" search. Wow. Yipitee-doo.
You know how I feel about that? Tell you how I feel about that; it's an old company trying to be hip and cool by adding a "feature" I don't need. It's a real estate company adding Tweet This buttons to their listing. It ain't hip and it ain't happening.
by aye_shamus
Google Doesn't Get Social
Google never actually got it.
By lockergnomeMaybe it is because Google is run by nerds while nerds tend to be socially stupid.
They had one of the first, huge, desirable social networks and you know what they did? They made it invite only. That's not smart. It's what socially inept geeks would do. "Wanna join my secret invite only club?"
Weirdo…
By factoryjoe
Google decided to come late to that game (see: Google buys Jaiku instead of Twitter…) and then missed the boat (see: Google buys Jaiku … instead of Twitter… #idiots).
And it's painful to do this, bordering on being cruel – but does anyone remember Google Shared Stuff … which didn't even have a place where you could go to see what was shared? 'Nuff said… Move along folks… Nothing to see here – literally.
Then, while Facebook needs to keep up with its growing rate by virtually importing beings from other planets, Google decides to go even more social by integrating all kinds of (social!!) features to … Google Reader.
By lambdachialpha
geek-driven social ineptitudeThat's geek-driven social ineptitude. You can't get more marginal. Almost 90% of the online population doesn't even know what RSS is, let alone uses it.
And you know what? People don't care about RSS either; 4 in 5 non-users say "no thanks, I'm not interested". So, that is what Google decides to build its social network activity on.
Oh, and lest we forget – the killer social Search Wiki.
Or the ever popular SideWiki.
Maybe the tremendously popular Google Profiles, anyone?
No, Google never ever actually seems to get social.
What Social Wants
"Social" wants to:
- Have its own profile page on a clearly labeled, findable, accessible network.
- Share anything at any time at a clearly labeled, findable, accessible network page.
- Read what others they are interested in are doing or sharing – and read that at a clearly labeled, findable, accessible network page,
- Comment on what others they are interested in are doing or sharing. Where? On the same page those items are on. On a clearly labeled, findable, accessible network page.
- Search what they and those they are interested in posted.
- Hang out with the crowd.
What Social Doesn't Want
we don't
need
status updates
blended randomly into
our Word documents"Social" doesn't want?
- We don't want yet another dead, algorithm-driven social aggregator where nothing happens because everything you see actually happens somewhere else where, you know, people care.
- And we certainly don't want status updates or Flickr photos blended randomly into their Word documents or search results.
Google Gets Search … Maybe
It's cute that Google wants to be a social rockstar but maybe they should try to improve their core product. No, not Adwords, silly! I mean search.
They innovated search. Brought us from the dark lands of trawling through tens of pages to the green pastures of quickly scanning the top 3 results.
Now it's time to innovate again – by solving other problems we have in search.
To the best of my knowledge that problem isn't a lack of status updates or Flickr photos added to the bottom of my search results.
My paid passion job at Search Engine People sees me applying my passions and knowledge to a wide array of problems, ones I usually experience as challenges.
People who know me know I love coffee.
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Very well said.
And I hope your Adsense account won't suddenly be reviewed
Very good points! Makes it so clear that I hope Google reads it. They are in the best position to do this right.