Comments on: Google Plus: The problem isn’t design, it’s a lack of demand

By: LoveSpinning

LoveSpinning — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 08:24:35 +0000

There is nothing to do on there If facebook were just about what other people say and share, Id have died of boredom by now Its the games they keep people coming back — no matter who I hit up on chat 9 times outta ten they were playing something or go off to play something

By: Friend

Friend — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 09:55:27 +0000

I agree that the problem isn’t design. Google+ in my opinion has much nicer design and interface than Facebook (and they work hard at avoiding most of those BS commercial messages like “Susan Jones just bought a burger deal at Red Robin” that clutter up your wall). The problem is the expectation that a good, even superior, design should allow it to immediately overtake facebook. People have all their pics and connections on facebook; for this reason, they don’t really want to move that all over to a new site. Google+ already has many converts (myself included), but mostly it will take time for people to sign up, establish their friend networks, begin posting more regularly, etc. Anecdotally I already see that beginning with some folks posting more often than a few months ago. It’s going to take time, but that’s no problem. Google isn’t going anywhere, and if it keeps producing a nicer product than facebook, people may finally reach a critical mass and quickly decide they need it more than they need facebook.

By: Sean

Sean — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 19:03:10 +0000

I have not used Facebook since November 2011 and there nothing they have that can lure me back . Anyone that talks down to G+ have ether not used it EVER or have some fear of it becoming as huge as it seems to be well on its way to (50 million users in less than 3/4 of a year). G+ is going to be just as great a success as Chrome & Android and those that prefer to put there fingers in there ears and hum loudly hoping it will disappear while sitting on a sinking ship is in for a great surprise

By: Pieter

Pieter — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 01:26:36 +0000

I agree. Seamless integration with Picasa.

By: Jon Barron

Jon Barron — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 22:59:32 +0000

Yep – this is all true but as the article suggests, Google+ has to be the way it is, as it needs mass appeal. People have often criticised its lack of innovation relative to sites like Pinterest but those sites would not be big and all-encompassing enough. Google+ is a perfectly good platform, but for it to succeed, Google now needs to acquire / add / integrate more of these niche services within the overall network fast. If it can keep adding functionality, fast it can still win. Hangouts are great. Instant Upload is great as is photo editing (Picnik integration). Circles are cool. It is a good solid platform. Some niches love it (photographers and geeks). If Google can keep innovating and adding niches it can still win long term. I really do like G+, but I have lost faith. Google’s updates and rate of innovation is brilliant, it’s just that these innovations have not been bold enough to date.

By: J

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 10:39:19 +0000

Google+ plays an entirely different role for me than Facebook does. My friends are on facebook, and they’re unlikely to move. That’s just fine, I use Google+ to follow interests, for which it is truly excellent. People share circles of posters in different areas (tech news, politics, astronomy, whatever) I add them, and then I immediately get a stream of content that’s interesting to me. I post (hopefully) interesting content, and people follow me. Do I know any of these people personally? Nope, and that matters about as much as the fact that I don’t personally know the editor of a news site I visit…

If you sign up and then just look for your friends and family, I’d imagine it would look like a ghost town, but that’s not at all the best way to engage with it. Following interests I’m rather swamped by the amount of relevant content I get!

I’m also a little sceptical about the 3 minutes a month number bandied around. I’m sure lots of people signed up to see what the fuss was about and never came back, bringing the average time way down. I’d be more interested to see how long people who are active users spend on the site…

By: isaac

isaac — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 03:55:18 +0000

the author clearly stated there was SOME activity on G+, i fail to see why you are so offended by someone’s opinion on a social networking site’s progress and activity which is based on observation and factual analysis. sure you might use it a lot, but as the article states, it’s only used an average of roughly a few minutes per month by each user! if you’re sick of reading these articles, why do you insist on reading them? no one said there wasn’t value to be had with the site, just a lack of demand in the saturated social networking market.

By: William Fenimore

William Fenimore — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 04:02:26 +0000

you are truly a fucking clueless moron

By: mike

mike — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 04:05:55 +0000

Sooner or later, you just realize that using Chrome, and Gmail, and Google Docs, and Google Calendar, and Google Finance, and Google Voice, and Android, and….Google Search…it all sort of ties itself together until you realize that you are an active part of the Google world and feel drawn to Google+ like a moth to the flame that lights the entire world.

By: Whoisb Whoisbid

Whoisb Whoisbid — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 18:53:51 +0000

That is very mean thing to say about the writer. Of course the writer is educated. I would resent that comment if I was the writer and someone said I was not educated. That is a very mean thing to say. You should apologize.