Google, Google, Google!
This morning’s article about “Googling” yourself along with recent news of Google’s “Google Me” feature have me thinking more and more about Google.
Google is accused of being Big Brother yet we all use the service for endless tasks every day- I personally use Gmail, google maps, google search, google docs and more every day as cloud computing emerges as the easiest way for my business to function. But why did Twitter beat Google to the microblogging punch? Why did MySpace beat Google to the blogosphere? Why did YouTube win out in the video hosting arena?
Google is smart AND lazy. Really lazy.
They all won because Google’s primary function is a search portal. Or is it? One can never be sure… as Google releases sexier, newer, faster applications, they prove themselves to be a more universal web company and the ability to have a Google profile about yourself leads me to believe that Google is taking the lazy route toward making a social network.
My Prediction
So yeah, go on over to the Google profiles, blog about the amazing Chuck Norris-like power of the profiles feature (which is probably true), but keep your eyes open while you insert all of your information, get suckered into building their social network and watch it grow into a gigantic omniscient network built, refined, and groomed by the very users that will be forced into using it as its sheer size crushes the competition in five years regardless of the quality (or lack thereof) of their shiny new social network. Can you say Mom & Pop vs. Wal-mart?
Jack Leblond
April 30, 2009 at 1:09 pm
I think Google is the Tom Sawyer of the interwebs – why waste time creating things on their own when they can just spend a few of the gajillion dollars they have banked away and buy an established, trusted brand?
Speaking of wal-mart, I heard they plan to start selling houses. 😉
Lani Rosales
April 30, 2009 at 1:20 pm
On Twitter, @stevekrzysiak said:
I think he’s on to something….
Matthew Hardy
April 30, 2009 at 1:53 pm
At least we can trust them to never be evil…
Jim Rake
April 30, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Well, the good thing is at least we know what we’re getting and where its coming from.
Yes…the 800 pound gorilla normally precedes your chracterization…”forced into using it as its sheer size crushes the competition in five years regardless of the quality”
But, beauty of life is, it’s evolutionary by nature, and it will certainly spawn specialization and innovation. I’m reminded of the words of a great competitor & coach, Pete Carril:
“The strong take from the weak, but the smart take from the strong.”
Missy Caulk
April 30, 2009 at 4:26 pm
I’ve had a profile for awhile with all my social network sites. I use it in my email signature, along with my blog, and home search site.
The only problem I have with it is when I changed my gmail address and rebuilt it, I was in a hurry and left the pink flower there, (thinking) I could change it.
Well it keeps going back to the pink flower and I have changed it hundreds are times and it keeps going back.
errrrrrr