Did Google Miss the Next Big Thing by Chasing Social Media?

http://www.pmorganbrown.com/2010/11/15/google-missed-opportunity-chasing-facebook/

by abraham • 16 years ago

5 4 16 years ago

robotron• 16 years ago

"Why would I go to GMail, then to docs, then to my phone, then to Chat when I can have it all in one place?"

Maybe I'm missing something but for me those are all in one place already? Gmail, docs, tasks, Google voice, Gchat, Buzz, Reader are all integrated in different fashions and can all be accessed from Gmail.

morganb2• 16 years ago

Thanks for pointing this out in my post. What I was trying to suggest is that if I'm already spending 5.5 hours per month on Facebook looking at photos, commenting, liking things, etc. Why, once the functionality was available within the interface and on my mobile device, would I jump out of my default environment to use a series of other tools that don't integrate at all w/my preferred online service.

I was a bit rushed in the composition of this post as I wrote it on the train; but you are correct. Technically those things are in one place, just not the place a large majority of Internet users are choosing to spend their time online.

zbruhnke• 16 years ago

ummm google did do this first ... it was called buzz and if you recall, it failed, quite miserably I might add.

That said, yes this may change SOME people's way of life for messaging, but it is not the game changer I was expecting it to be, and to be honest is much less remarkable than I am sure MOST were thinking

morganb2• 16 years ago

That was my point. Google had the opportunity, but in their race to get into the social game blew it with Buzz, Wave, Friend Connect, (the list goes on...) Google wanted social, they didn't think about what the average user might want or use. And now, with all their functionality are still behind.

And I agree with you. The idea of a unified inbox is not revolutionary. You didn't see people jumping up and down with their laptops over their heads like you did at the Wave press conference, and I think that is what will make it more successful.

It may not be revolutionary to you and me; but trust me, my mom's head is going to explode when she gets a text from me in her inbox, can respond via email and then touch a picture of me on her phone to call me from the same thread.

Did Google Miss the Next Big Thing by Chasing Social Media?

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