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Topic: Social Enterprise

Is Facebook really nervous about Google Me?

Summary: Google is getting close to launching their much hyped "Google Me" social network. This isn't Google's first stab at social networking -- for example, Orkut (Google's own Facebook) is a successful website in only a few countries.

Garett Rogers

By Garett Rogers for Googling Google |

Google is getting close to launching their much hyped "Google Me" social network. This isn't Google's first stab at social networking -- for example, Orkut (Google's own Facebook) is a successful website in only a few countries.

Reports from Venture Beat say that Facebook is on "lock down" -- basically meaning that all hands are on deck, even weekends, for the next 60 days. Of course, this is just a rumor, and has not been officially confirmed. If this is true though, it surprises me to think that Facebook may be actually nervous about Google's future product.

When it comes to social stuff, Google doesn't have a bright track record. Orkut only saw success in small pockets, Google purchased then threw away Dodgeball (the owners of which have since created Foursquare), Jaiku (a Twitter-like service) was purchased then thrown away, and Google Buzz had serious privacy problems at launch which still leave a bitter taste in some people's mouths.

I personally don't think Facebook has enough to worry about to warrant "lock down", but I guess we won't know until Google finally rolls out their new service. It will be interesting to see if Google Me can get some real traction, and stay away from privacy concerns which seem to be plaguing the company recently.

Topics: Social Enterprise, Collaboration, Google

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19 comments
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  • RE: Is Facebook really nervous about Google Me?

    are you worried about google spying on you with the cia
    3424234324234223
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Is Facebook really nervous about Google Me?

    I for one would welcome an alt to FB.. I loathe it and ONLY use it b/c it's the only recognized social networking platform in that particular area.. others have lost traction or are not developing anymore or have issues or like mySpace, have privacy issues or just don't have the "appeal". Besides.. everyone knows that the FBI and CIA get access to everything on FB.. whose to say Google will be any different.. get over that "issue" right now!
    jazzdolphin
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Is Facebook really nervous about Google Me?

    both Facebook and google are CIA departments ha ha
    kdsandeep@...
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Is Facebook really nervous about Google Me?

      @kdsandeep@...
      Whos know even worst? FSB with facebook!!!Muahahaha~
      Lghost
      Reply Vote

    • RE: Is Facebook really nervous about Google Me?

      @kdsandeep@...
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  • RE: Is Facebook really nervous about Google Me?

    A couple of facts first:

    1. Orkut was bought out by Google when it was already HUGELY popular in Asia/S. America and part of Europe. After purchase however, they did not develop it at all for nearly 4 years. Likewise, they actively killed dodgeball - another very popular social networking tool in the US.

    2. Fact: Google has not been good at social networking. Root cause? Google does not know how to empower and productize. That is the real problem here. Take the lack of development behind Google Talk local client, killing Wave before iti had any real chance and burning any chances that Calendar had when the smarts decided to launch it without a sync software (w/outlook/notes).

    PS Google Contacts is a disaster/joke by anyone's standards after spending 5 minutes with it. I am sure MS has nothing to worry about at this point in the real world space.
    dextroz
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Is Facebook really nervous about Google Me?

      @dextroz I like Google products and all but #2 is right on point. They have some great ideas and the engineers to do it but they don't know how to bring them to market or put the final polish on them. Wave is outstanding work but they've got to understand that unless you build a migration path from email nobody is gonna come over. Its similar with Buzz although it was nothing revolutionary....they didn't tie it in well enough to thinks like Android and Gmail. Google Voice and Docs aren't tied well enough into Android either. Voice is cool with the app but I believe it could be much more integrated. For instance 3rd parties should be able to tie into the messaging as if they were SMS messages on the phone. On Sense you can't see those messages tied to the contacts. Google Talk has the same problem on Android. They basically need a guy to focus on integration of products.
      storm14k
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Is Facebook really nervous about Google Me?

        @storm14k "they don't know how to bring them to market or put the final polish on them. " That probably is they most accurate statement. They have their places - but their polish and the UI experience are lacking...greatly. Well said.
        ItsTheBottomLine
        Reply Vote

      • His #2 is spot on.

        @storm14k

        Google has issues monetization anything they do that is not "search". Android? Not bad (still a copy of iOS lacking polish) but they give it away with any pay off being years and years down the road (if ever). Buzz? Same thing. It was born in a lab and never went through basic usage testing. Nexus One? Nice design but they never figured out that if people pay for something, they might EXPECT help when things don't work.

        While I like the concept of a purely engineered based company, it does not work in the long haul. Why? because no one ever finishes anything and engineers want to do development and not maintenance (yes, we have very short attention spans). So what you end up with is dozens of started concepts mostly abandoned for something else. Projects short of stability and polish (Android for example) but long on features.

        After awhile, people will start to wonder what projects will be long term (Android?) or short term (Buzz/Wave) and will start to loose confidence in any of them.
        Bruizer
        Reply Vote

    • RE: Is Facebook really nervous about Google Me?

      @dextroz I quite like Google Talk, I can use it at work when everything else is blocked and it works great with my G1. Calendar syncs great for me, once again I have a google phone, had I wanted to sync with Micrsoft products I'd buy a Windows phone. As for contacts, the UI can definitely use an uplift on the web, but from my phone it works better than any other service I've had including MS. I agree with the rest of you post, GoogleMe is going to have to bring something new to the table and/or have a brilliant marketing strategy if it is going to have any chance of success. I'm not sure they have the ability. With all I have tied into google already I don't know that I will want to add my social networking service to that. I don't have my FB tied to it, I try to not to put all my eggs in one basket.

      Does anyone else miss the days of the BBS?
      Greenman76
      Reply Vote

  • Facebook | Google Me == Lame

    Facebook was cool when the media and their advertisor carrion eaters didnt know about it or didnt think it was worth anything and with all the recent flaps about facebook giving our data to advertisors Google Me will have to go aloooong way to show us users its worth it. I locked down my facebook account and I didnt spend much time there and I doubt I will spend much time with Google Me.

    niche social networks are more whats the big deal these days with several appz like phpfox that do far more than facebook and do it better (Yay Open Source or Semi Open Source)why even bother with Google Me or Facebook
    KineticArtist
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Is Facebook really nervous about Google Me?

    I think the name GoogleMe is unfortunate. People are already goofy about privacy concerns, as if hasn't been extremely easy to find information about them on the web since 1995. I think "GoogleMe" won't be reassuring to those nervous nellies. ;)
    Improper Username
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Is Facebook really nervous about Google Me?

    It does if Google signs exlcusive deals Zygra, I do not see google investing 200 millions dollars an getting nothing from it. An if they are talking about exclusive deals with other games developers then I can seeing Facebook being worried as over half the time spent of site is playing games but I do not see how the 60 days lock down would help them. <br>I suspect it more likely something to do with a new product launches, may be the rumour gmail killer they are working. <br>An may be a new redesign of the site. I guest the lock could be to try an speed up these developments, through there is something called burn out an it must be expensive to pay overtime to all those people to.
    Knowles2
    Reply Vote

    • One of the advantages of being privately held.

      @Knowles2

      It can allow for much petter long term planning.
      Bruizer
      Reply Vote

  • RE: Is Facebook really nervous about Google Me?

    "Much-hyped"? I get the ZDNet daily newsletter e-mail, read Slashdot regularly, and waste way too much time on the internet generally, and this is the very first I've heard of "GoogleMe." So they aren't hyping it terribly well.

    As for interest, Google completely lost me as a customer for ANY social networking project with the disastrous, obnoxious, and offensive way they handled Buzz and the criticism it received upon its launch. When your CEO has announced that privacy is dead and we all need to just get over it, that makes me VERY leery that they'd include much in the way of privacy protection for any social networking project. Let me know when they can Schmidt and the moron project manager who introduced (and screwed up) Buzz, and then maybe I'll think they've decided to take complaints seriously. Until then, they can waste all the money they want on new social networking projects, and none of it will get me to try it out.
    PatHMV
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Is Facebook really nervous about Google Me?

    it looks good, but i don't think it will be enough to pull people away from facebook. facebook is far, far more easily accessible and integrated into society then things like MySpace ever were. i would be very surprised if Google Me ever really takes off, it will get a hell of a lot of traffic initially, but will die down. at least it's the first one with a good name.
    Naryan
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Is Facebook really nervous about Google Me?

    Not sure why they should be. It would require moving from one to the next...Facebook, albeit a pain the rump, is still growing, and Google is late to the table. They have to offer something pretty compelling since it's Free vs. Free. Example The docs are OK applications, but the most compelling part is they are free, and are very good at collaborative work. Take those two away and well the are just OK tools at best. What are they going to offer over FB that would cause 500Million+ to switch and have their friends move as well?
    ItsTheBottomLine
    Reply Vote

  • FaceBook & Google rock!!

    I'm a GMail "whore" -- can't get enough of it. :-)
    I also think FaceBook has done a remarkable job with its social "experience" thingy...almost to the point of being a social utility (like electricity). And nothing touches Google Search (web, images, videos, etc.). Nothing!!!
    Since I've been in East Africa for the past 5 years, I came up with this WICKED concept for a video game that involves traveling, revenge, and lots of multi-cultural characters. I could see it as a book, a movie, and with lots of accessories. Can some1 give me a number/contact of some peeps or a company whom I could call to get the ball rolling?? I could see intuitive well-placed ads in the game too. Airlines, hotels...all these could be animated in the game. Taking a break from the West in Africa allowed me to come up with the concept.
    Stay tuned!!

    Max - The IT pro
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    maxtheitpro
    Reply Vote

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