Google+ Thoughts

Some features I am still a bit surprised were not in the initial release of Google Plus. I’m guessing they will be added in the near future (not soon enough, in my opinion.  speed is of the essence):

• Post to Twitter so that shortened URL ties back to Google+ post (traffic vortex, duh)
• Post messages and photos to G+ without the need for a dedicated app (like Blogger can do already)
• More integration with Google Calendar, Reader and Gmail (as a bare minimum - I’d like to see all of the Google assets merged or linked more cohesively)

Don’t get me wrong, I love G+ (so far).  I was on Facebook when it first went public (a week before that you had to have a .edu email address to join).  At that time, only people 25 and older had any interest in it.  The younger crowd all loudly proclaimed MySpace was cooler at that time and Facebook was dull and boring.  In 2008, Facebook added schlock garbage (redundant terms, I know) like Games, Ads, Events and Surveys, and the crowds went wild (and stupid).

Between 2006 and 2007 there was nowhere near the amount of comparison review done between MySpace and Facebook in the press as compared to what I’m seeing now between Facebook and G+.  And G+ is still pre-release.  Maybe Google likes this process.  It is very similar to how they handled the acquisition of Garfield (later renamed to GMail), which kept the “beta” moniker for years.  I hope not.  Google used to be known for being fast and crazy.  Then they hired a lot of people, grew their campus, added data centers and now they’re suffering from the same bloat that punched the faces of Microsoft, Dell and IBM over the years.

I could go on and list my current gripes and annoyances, but why bother? Others have already begun that effort and I don’t feel like reinventing any wheels.  I have to assume that Google will address those in due time.  The microscope is already on them to see how they fare against Facebook and anyone else that decides to crash the party (Microsoft?).  We shall see.