Monday - Jul 11, 2011
I would say this is a paradox. (A tenet or proposition contrary to received opinion; an assertion or sentiment seemingly contradictory, or opposed to common sense; that which in appearance or terms is absurd, but yet may be true in fact.) Hmm..many of you would surely agree with me on the ‘kind of paradox’ that I am talking about. Well this is about the new social forum Google+ and its ubiquitous features!
Hmm..again! Newspapers in India have been guarded with the way they would like to view Google’s foray ‘again’ into the social networking scene. This isn’t surprising given the psyche of the Indian media. They dither, they drool, they hedge but are never firm on their views. Why is it so scary for them to call a spade a spade I am not sure. But then some say it’s too early to call a spade a spade! It’s been just two weeks that Google+ launched flamboyantly its new features, challenging the other social networking site Facebook! Facebook responded by hurriedly making changes to many of its features and applications overnight.
Now what can you say of a giant taking on the Goliath! Google has been on the IT map for over 16 years and has entrenched its roots deep into the psyche of every being associated with the internet. A giant that leaped into the social networking scene with hopes of cashing in on the vast number of people resources and their ideas that Facebook has. It did so in the past with the launching of ‘Picasa ultimatum’ that wasn’t as successful as it disappointed its users who didn’t want to share their photos, hence stopped them from signing up. Facebook has not put such stoppers at all. In fact it has agreed to play to the hilt offering its users to change their privacy settings anytime and every time they felt the need to do so.
Mark Zuckerberg’s strategy to outwit the giant the moment it made its intentions clear drew a sigh of admirable gasps from its users. I leapt with joy the moment I saw the posting on my wall that I could now view, chat and speak to my friends for free just as we do in Skype! This sent a clear signal to Google that Mark was inching closer to its arch rival Microsoft by settling for a Facebook Skype tie-up. Some say that Mark’s trying to play the role of king maker between the two, but as users what could be more exciting than be loaded with free gifts as a result of the fight.
Some say Facebook can never be what Microsoft or Google really is. I say does it matter? In this world of dog-eat-dog, big businesses need to depend on the smaller ones to reign supreme. We all know that Google gets its revenue through Adsense while Microsoft through its software and Google have reigned supreme as an advertising mogul but Facebook has shown its mettle by opening its pages for a far superior platform of advertising. Reason for this is the profiling of its users. Facebook has taken the masses by storm.
In reality it is Google that needs the services of Facebook or come up with an equally powerful social networking platform that can attract the advertisers through its own version of ‘profiling’. Can it do that? Will Google stand up to the pressures of the wily Facebook? Only time can tell. But Google is aware that Facebook lacks the enterprise appeal, as it has no software or utility value as such. It is now a wait, watch and reap time for us users while the giants battle it out.
Monday - Jul 4, 2011
The moment I logged in to check my mail I was surprised to find messages from one of my friends with the Google logo on it. Google+??? Huh…Pinged him to discover that Google has finally jumped onto the social network bandwagon called the Google+ project.
On Tuesday, Google launched its restricted access of its new social networking site called Google+ pronounced Google plus. But by Wednesday night Google turned off the new signing up as it could not handle the huge inflow of users, who realized they could send unlimited number of invitations to other people by email. Suddenly there seemed to be an insane demand of users who had bombarded their contacts on Twitter and Facebook to sign them up.
I guess Google couldn’t resist but take a share of the huge social network pie that has supposedly made Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder of Facebook a household name the world over. Mark has supposedly made a fortune that is estimated to be a whopping $13.5 billion!
Though the service is similar to that of Facebook, Google+ aims to make provisions to users who can share photos, links and updates to only a small section of friends and not an entire social network as in Facebook.
As I was updated about this service by my friend, my mind recoiled from the thought of, ‘another forum’? ‘Another round of checking status updates, notifications, messages?’ Oh no, not another one.
It is true we get to contact many of our friends and contacts through a site that allows us to post innumerable photos, links and other things that wouldn’t have been possible physically when people meet. But, where is the time for another social network? How do I make provisions in the limited time that I am left with on a daily basis to check into another social networking site? I started to reason that Google+ wouldn’t be able to catch on like its ally Facebook did. In fact I was wishing it wouldn’t.
I felt Google’s bitten more than it can chew. Can it hold the Facebook bull by its horns and steer it away and capture its place? Will it be able to carry it off with aplomb like Mark has done allowing people from everywhere to get in touch with anyone!
The difference between Facebook and Google+
Google+ is intended to be shared only with smaller, closely aligned sets of people unlike Facebook where anything and everything can be freely posted. The marked difference between the two being unlike Facebook where friendship rests on being two-way, in Google+ users create groups of other users or ‘Circles’ as it is termed in Google lingo.
The ‘Circle’ of friends in the group ares in no way connected to one another and one needn’t necessarily communicate with the other just because he/she is in that group and if needed a member in the group can also be ignored without his knowing. The ‘Circle’ is only for the convenience of the person who has initiated it so that he can share things with the rest of them or view their updates, as a group.
When sharing things on your wall, that resembles that of Facebook, Google+ initiates you to choose carefully the circle and groups that you would like to share the information with. This way one needn’t go through the arduous task of fine-tuning your customization settings, as it needs to be done in Facebook, in order to ensure who does or doesn’t view the postings.
In Facebook messages and notifications are generally reflected in the user’s mail box whereas in Google+ it uses the member’s email accounts that needn’t necessarily be the Gmail system. This ensures you aren’t saddled with another inbox. Also you can reply to those messages without having to log into Google+.
Besides these Google+ also has the following features:
- ‘Sparks’ a searchable news feed wherein one can share news within the circles or the groups.
- One can display ones personal interests without the same being visible to anyone in your Group or Circle.
- Hangouts are video chats that can happen between 10 people only.
- One can create ‘Huddle’ a group SMS chat within members whose mobile numbers are available.
As the forum is still in its beta stage, work is still in progress with loads of room for changes and improvement.
After all this my mind still reels with doubts and the foremost one being can I take to this forum as the hangover from the previous one persists?
For more information on Google+ and its features you can rely on this article from the New York Times.
Sunday - Jun 19, 2011
As social media becomes more pervasive, the common wisdom has been that it alienates and isolates people. A study done in 2006 confirmed that. But a new study released last week by the Pew Internet and American Life Project shoots down that theory. In fact it found just the opposite. Facebook and other social media sites may be good for your mental health.
The study consisted of telephone interviews with 2,255 adults, age 18 and older. Half said they use social media sites and 92% are on Facebook.
Among the findings for how people interact with Facebook are these:
- 15% update their own status.
- 22% comment on another’s post or status.
- 20% comment on another user’s photos.
- 26% “Like” another user’s content.
- 10% send another user a private message
More interestingly, the study found that Facebook users have more close relationships and get more social support than non-users. They’re also more politically engaged.
Not as surprising is that Facebook has reconnected people with dormant relationships. Here’s who were on study participants’ “Friends” lists:
- 22% people from high school
- 12% extended family
- 10% coworkers
- 9% college friends
- 8% immediate family
- 7% people from voluntary groups
- 2% neighbors
Far from being a way to keep people at arms length, social media provides the electronic glue that connects people across time and space. Given the positive effects, you might even say that it’s therapeutic.
