How Facebook Destroyed Google

Summary

Google's foray into social networking, despite early advantages in resources and user base, resulted in a series of failures culminating in Google+, dubbed the company's biggest flop. Launched in 2011, Google+ aimed to rival Facebook with features like Circles and Sparks but faced backlash due to forced integration with other Google services, a confusing user experience, and a lack of unique offerings. Despite initial growth, user engagement was dismally low, with an average visit time of only 3 minutes per month. The platform's forced real-name policy and privacy breaches further alienated users. After several unsuccessful attempts to compete in social media, Google+ was permanently shut down in 2019, highlighting the challenges even tech giants face in creating engaging social platforms.

Takeaways

• 😮 Google launched their first social network, Orkut, in 2004, before Facebook and Twitter.
• 💡 Google attempted to buy Friendster early on, offering $30 million in Google stock, but Friendster declined.
• 📉 Despite multiple attempts, including Google+, Google has repeatedly failed to create a successful social network.
• 🚫 Google+ was criticized for its forced integration with other Google services, leading to user backlash.
• 🔒 Google+ faced a major security breach that exposed the personal data of over 50 million users.
• 🤔 Google's culture of quickly killing projects that aren't working may not be suitable for the social networking domain.
• 📈 Google's initial success with search, books, and maps did not translate to success in social networking.
• 🎯 Google+ was designed with features like Circles and Sparks, which were not well-received by the general public.
• 🕊️ Google's attempt at a new social network, Shoelace, also failed, shutting down less than a year after its launch.
• 📊 Google+ was described as a 'ghost town' with an average user session time of only 3 minutes per month.
• 🤝 The forced real-name policy on Google+ was controversial and contributed to its downfall.

Q & A

Why did Google attempt to buy Friendster before launching their own social network?

Google tried to buy Friendster because they recognized the potential of social networking early on. Friendster was one of the first social networking sites, and Google offered $30 million worth of Google stock for the site. However, Friendster turned down the offer, believing the site could become a multi-billion dollar business, which led Google to create their own social network instead.

What was the name of Google's first social networking service and what was its main feature?

Google's first social networking service was called Orkut. It was designed to help users connect with both new and old friends and featured capabilities similar to today's social networks, such as creating posts, updating status, sharing photos, and interacting with friends' content.

Why was Google+ considered a failure despite having a large number of users?

Google+ was considered a failure because the number of users was artificially inflated. Many people were forced to join Google+ to continue using other Google services they liked, such as YouTube. However, these users were not actively engaging with Google+, leading to an average usage time of only 3 minutes per month, indicating a lack of actual user engagement and satisfaction.

What was the core feature of Google+ known as 'Circles' and how was it intended to work?

The core feature of Google+ known as 'Circles' allowed users to group their contacts into specific categories and control what content they saw. This was intended to give users more control over their privacy and sharing preferences, enabling them to share different types of content with different groups of people in their lives.

What was the issue with Google+'s real-name policy and how did it affect the platform?

Google+'s real-name policy required users to identify themselves using their full real names, which led to problems as it connected to other Google services. Many users did not want their real name associated with all their online activities, and this policy resulted in backlash, especially when it was enforced on platforms like YouTube, leading to a negative perception of Google+.

Why did Google launch Google Friend Connect, and what was its main functionality?

Google launched Google Friend Connect in 2008 to allow any website owner to turn their page into a social platform. Users could log in with their Google account and see which of their friends were using the same site, enabling them to share comments on the website, thus attempting to create a broader social networking reach.

What was Google Wave and why did it fail to take off?

Google Wave was a social networking service launched in 2009 that aimed to combine features of email, instant messaging, blogging, wikis, multimedia management, and document sharing, along with social networking features. It was described as potentially comprehensive but was too complicated for users, leading to its failure to gain traction.

What was the controversy surrounding Google Buzz and how did it impact Google's reputation?

Google Buzz was integrated with Gmail and automatically added users and their email contacts to the service without explicit consent, making some Gmail data public. This led to privacy concerns, user backlash, and a class-action lawsuit, which Google settled for millions of dollars, severely damaging Google's reputation.

How did Google's strategy of gradually rolling out Google+ by using an invite program affect its initial perception?

The invite program created a sense of exclusivity and buzz around Google+, which helped generate publicity and interest in the platform. However, it also limited the number of contacts users had on the platform initially, which hindered the network effect and made the platform seem less vibrant and engaging.

What was the main reason for Google's repeated failures in building a successful social network according to the script?

The script suggests that Google's repeated failures in building a successful social network were due to a combination of factors, including poor timing, forced integration with other Google services that annoyed users, lack of unique selling points or innovative features, and a general lack of understanding of what the average social network user wanted.

What were some of the features of Google+ that were seen as innovative but ultimately did not resonate with users?

Features like Circles, which allowed for organized sharing with specific groups of contacts, and Sparks, which required users to actively search for content they were interested in, were seen as innovative but did not resonate with users who preferred simplicity and a more passive social media experience.

What was the aftermath of Google+'s shutdown for consumers in 2019?

After Google+ was shut down for consumers in 2019, any content users had on Google+ was transferred to relevant standalone applications, such as photos being moved to Google Photos. Some features, like video hangouts, became separate Google services that continued to be useful.

What was the final attempt by Google to launch a social network after Google+, and what was its focus?

After Google+, Google attempted to launch a social network called Shoelace. Unlike Google+, Shoelace focused on a much more low-key approach, aiming to connect people to local events and happenings in their own city.