Google+ — A Facebook Killer or Another Google Wave?

by on June 30, 2011

You can’t surf anywhere on the web the last 2 days without coming across another Google+ article. I’ve heard it’s going to kill Facebook but it’s hard to kill Facebook when Google+ Invite Process Shut Down Amid ‘Insane Demand’

This whole Google+ “Buzz” reminds me of the same process everyone went through with Google Wave and we all know how that ended!

I think Google provides some great services. Google Apps for Education is a tremendous product and has worked its way into the mainstream. But I’ve got one HUGE problem with the way Google launches new services like Google+ — you have to request an invite and hope! It was the same way with Google Wave and you would think I’ve learned my lesson–I requested an invite! But I’m not holding my breath.

Even if I get one–and who knows when that might happen–I’ve got to find “friends” to make it feasible. Then I’ve got to use two services–Facebook and Google+ — I’m sure I have some extra time laying around! I can guarantee you that only a portion of my Facebook friends would even consider switching to Google+

I guess what I’m saying is I wish this stuff was approached with a little more common sense. We got burned on Google Buzz, Google Wave, etc. but yet we continue to jump in headfirst with any new Google offering. One of the big issues with educators adopting technology is a lack of time to become familiar with the tech used in classrooms. Do we have the time to hope that Google+ is going to work?

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Tagged as: Facebook, Google, Google Buzz, Google Wave, Social media

  • http://niiloa.posterous.com Niilo Alhovaara

    I don’t think Google+ can be compared to Wave, Buzz, Orkut or any other of the previous Google experiments in social. Google+ seems to be a corporate wide strategy shift within Google and that’s really way more interesting than a new social playground. Facebook killer? Perhaps just an alternative. For my part, I won’t be crying blood if just a fraction of my FB friends moves over to Google+. Actually, I might be perfectly happy about it.

    • http://www.coachjeffreythomas.com Jeffrey Thomas

      Thanks for the comment! My comparison of Google+ to Wave is to point out that if this is another Google offering that fails like Wave after all the hype then valuable time has been wasted. In fact, the hype about Google Wave was even bigger than Google+ so in that respect I certainly believe they can be compared. As for the friend issue, you might be right. However, as I pointed out in the post, I’m not really looking forward to yet another social network to keep up with–that is if I can get an invite at all. Thanks again!

  • http://niiloa.posterous.com Niilo Alhovaara

    Hey Jeffrey, my guess is that pretty much *everyone* will be getting an invite, when people start adding their buddies to their circles! I’d think it will take a bit of an effort to stay out of Google+ :)

  • http://liberal-propaganda.blogspot.com/ Fernweher

    Google+ only denied invites for a day or two. and the very fact that their invite server was overloaded PROVES that they are insanely popular. Facebook users are SICK and TIRED of having their privacy shredded and having the interface change every 2 months. It’s time to try something new, and it looks like that new thing is Google+.

    After all, I didn’t have any trouble getting an invite, why should you? If you know ANYONE who uses the service, they can send you an invite, and I have unlimited invites as far as I know. If you already love social media, it should be super-easy to get an invite.

    • http://www.coachjeffreythomas.com Jeffrey Thomas

      Thanks for your comment. However, if you think Google is better than Facebook at securing your privacy, then Google has you right where they want you! Google gets their revenue by selling you! Sure, I got an invite, but why should it be as difficult as it is. Super easy would be to sign up and get an account–not scrounging and/or paying for an invite.

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