Social networking has become a driving force in areas such as business, media, and each one of our personal lives. Industry giants like Facebook and Twitter have dominated the social networking phenomenon. It was inevitable that Google would eventually take a try at this growing industry. Google has launched their own social networking site called Google+. Google+ is not Google’s first attempt at breaking into the world of social networking. In February Google launched a site called Google Buzz. There was a lot of potential surrounding this site, primarily because of its easy access through Google Gmail accounts. Although this site had great potential, the hype quickly fizzled once it became apparent that the public was not ready to convert from Facebook.
In a review written by blogger Ben Parr, he describes Google plus as “a bold and dramatic attempt at social networking.” He also makes it clear that Google wants the site seen as a “project” and not a “product”. Google wants to portray this as an ever evolving technology rather than a final product. They are mirroring the strategy of Facebook and continuously changing and growing in order to satisfy the needs of their customers.
After reading the review for Google+ I have noticed one glaring difference that outshines Facebook. It is a function that is offered called Google+ Circles. This function lets you allocate different friends into particular groups. By doing this you will then be able to decide what information you share with each group. This could be a very useful function when separating work, family, and friends on your social networking account. This is a function that Facebook has not yet been able to offer. Other than this function I do not see any significant differences from the social networking king Facebook.
Personally I do not believe that Google+ is ever going to get off the ground. Facebook has completely monopolized the social networking industry. It is not the layout, the available functions, or the accessibility that Google+ won’t be able to compete with. It is simply the amount of time each individual has invested in Facebook over the years. For years people have uploaded all of their pictures, searched for family and old friends, and uploaded all of their personal information. People have put in hour after hour to create their own personal web page. I do not believe that enough people are willing to let that all go and start from scratch on Google+. Sure some people will convert over but I cannot realistically see Google+ ever competing with Facebook.
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